Power Rangers Jungle Fury: WORSE THAN HER BITE
by AnimeJunkieGrrl
Summary: Gwen starts snapping at people and it's affecting her fighting against a new threat. Feeling conflicted between her animal spirit and what's expected of her, can a new master help her realize that it's okay to just let go? Post-PTTE and Pre-OMTM.
1. Chapter 1

Sorry this new installment took so long! I had to do some tweaking to my latest chapter of _**Love Across Time**_. Now that I have some time, myself, let's get down to business!

**Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Disney, Power rangers or anything along those lines!**

Also, I wanna send a shout out to all my reviewers and special props to **GottaDance88, ThunderYoshi** and **TennisGal456**! Thanks for liking the last chapter of **_When Blue Turns Green_**! You rock! :D

Okay, so since the formalities are out of the way...On with the next installment!

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**Summary: **Gwen, known for her quiet voice, seems to be suffering from a malady that causes her to hold back when battling Ocean Bluff's latest threat. Feeling conflicted between her animal spirit and what's expected of her, can a new master help her realize that it's okay to just let go?

**Power Rangers Jungle Fury: WORSE THAN HER BITE**

The sun was greeting Ocean Bluff with a salmon colored sky as the owner and employees of Jungle Karma Pizza were having breakfast in the loft before they opened up shop. Everyone had already taken their showers and just as Casey was pouring himself a bowl of corn flakes, the foursome was graced with an unexpected visit by Gwen and Keenan. The sibling pair decided to drop in before they headed for work and Gwen looked like the picture of health. You'd never know that she was fighting for her life against a lethal venom just the other day.

"Morning, guys." The siblings greeted cheerfully.

The three Pai Zhuq rangers and their mentor greeted back as Keenan's eyes traveled to the stack of pancakes the cheetah was holding. Lily giggled to herself as she knew what the eagle was going to ask.

"Care to join us, Keenan?" She asked holding up a plate in one hand and a spatula with a flapjack balanced on it in the other.

Keenan, never one for turning down food, just grinned. Mostly because his lady friend offered.

"_I see something else I'd like to pour that syrup on."_ He thought lustfully. He shook the naughty thought from his head and answered hoping he wouldn't commit a Freudian slip and reveal what he was **really **thinking. "Don't mind if I do." He grinned as he took a seat at the island.

Gwen just rolled her eyes in shame as she took a seat next to her younger brother. Her sibling was about to partake in the offered food when Gwen leaned her elbow against the counter. Her thoughts went to Keenan's past gluttonous escapades and they brought up a valid question.

"Keenan, I may be way off base...but, didn't you just finish eating breakfast before we came over here?" She asked in slight annoyance.

"Your point?" He retorted with a shrug as Lily passed him a short stack.

Gwen just let her head slump down and let out an exasperated sigh while Casey and Theo laughed at the exchange between brother and sister. Since their adventure navigating through the Ancient Spirit Temple, the red and blue rangers were getting along much better.

"And I thought Casey was a chow hound." Theo replied with a chuckle. "Keenan, I think you may have a tapeworm."

"Tape **snake **is more like it." Gwen grumbled. That was the only thing she hated about Keenan; the fact that he could eat like his stomach was a black hole and not gain a single pound. _"I hate you."_ She thought...albeit playfully.

Gwen was about to berate her brother on how much of a pig he could be when her eyes caught sight of RJ sitting across from her. Her lips curled into a smirk when she noticed how good he looked in his purple short-sleeved shirt and faded jeans. There was just something about the color purple that made him look even more handsome in her deep brown eyes.

"Morning, RJ." She greeted with a sweet smile. "You're looking pretty good."

RJ flashed his crooked grin at the lady vet as he scooted closer to her. Her lab coat was still in the car which gave the pizza chef an excellent chance to see how well her blouse and black skirt fit her.

"And you're looking lovely as ever." He replied with his own brand of confidence. "How are you this bodacious morning?"

"Better now." Gwen replied with a wink.

Casey shook his head and picked up on the vibes that his mentor and the woman whose life he helped save the other day wanted some alone time.

"I think there's something down in the shop we need to do...right, guys?" Casey asked as he motioned with his head for the others to follow him.

Theo looked at his leader and was completely oblivious to the message he was trying to convey.

"Um...no, we did everything last night. All we really have to do is open up." Theo replied mid swallow.

"Uh, no. There **is **something we can do...downstairs...right now! Get it?" Casey stressed through clenched teeth.

Theo may have been smart about things like school and martial arts, but when it came to affairs of the heart, he was utterly clueless. Thankfully for Casey, Lily and Keenan picked up on the tiger's not-so-subtle cue for the foursome to hit the bricks.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot we had that...thing to do...downstairs...right now. Keenan, wanna help?" Lily asked as she grabbed Theo by his collar and dragged him towards the stairs. The blue ranger protested while shaking a peeled banana in his hand.

"Sure. I always wanted to toss dough." He chuckled as he followed Casey and the others towards the stairs leading down to the JKP kitchen.

Leaving RJ and Gwen alone was the plan, but you know what they say. Plans don't always go smoothly. Seeing that they were seemingly alone, RJ and Gwen engaged in a bit of small talk.

"So, how are you feeling?" RJ asked as he ate a spoonful of his cereal. "It's not everyone who can recover so quickly from a Rinshi snake bite."

"I'm feeling much better, thanks." She answered taking a sip of orange juice. "Oh, and I figured out where that black aura came from. You know, the one you said formed around me when I was having that reaction?"

The pizza chef's interest was now piqued which was evident by his raised eyebrow. Ever since that scare in her hospital room where the black aura first appeared, he wondered where it came from if Gwen was unable to summon it.

"How could I forget? That was the biggest scare I had in a long time." He replied with his swagger. He put on the air of being cool and calm, but inside, he was still shaken up. He was an eyelash away from losing Gwen and he never felt so helpless. "But, do tell; if you didn't call for the aura, who did?" RJ wondered aloud.

Gwen let out a soft chuckle through her nose as her thoughts went back to last night. It still surprised her, but in a roundabout way, it also made perfect sense.

"Believe it or not, the aura came from Kiva."

"Your panther?" The Pai Zhuq master mused with wide eyes.

"Mm-hmm." Gwen nodded since she was drinking more juice. "It was the strangest thing...well...I guess 'strange' isn't the right word. I don't know what you'd call it, really. Last night while I was finishing up with Tahj and the other animals, Keenan and I were going over the whole 'black aura' incident when I looked over to Kiva."

RJ shifted closer to the lady vet as she regaled him with the events of the other night.

"She was just...staring at me. And it wasn't one of those blank stares, either. She was trying to tell me something." She continued unsure of whether to include the fact that she had an unusually strong connection to animals or just to let it slide. "RJ, I think Kiva knew I was in trouble and she used her spirit to save me." She said in a quiet tone.

RJ's expression was a mix of amazement, disbelief and just plain 'whoa'. He knew the spirits of animals could do incredible things, but never did he think that they were capable of something like this.

"This is...wow." He couldn't think of any other way to express his feelings. "Are you sure?"

The black ranger just nodded softly. Kiva was her own pet and she didn't fully know what the ebony feline was capable of. Maybe what happened last night was just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe...Kiva wasn't the only one who could do it. Since Gwen started taking care of the animals she kept in the big cat compound, Midnight and Serena included, she felt that they were something more than just endangered species...much more.

"It's just so surreal." Gwen was feeling a bit uncomfortable and decided to change the subject to something a little lighter. "So, can I ask you a personal question."

Neither the vet nor the pizza chef knew that just shy of the bottom of the stairs, Casey, Lily, Theo and Keenan were listening in on the couple.

"Ask away." RJ grinned. He wanted to know what was on her mind. _"I'll answer any question you want." _He thought wistfully.

"Okay, what was going through your mind when you first saw me?" She asked with a smirk as she rested her chin on one hand.

She wanted to see if he remembered the day they first saw each other and not the day they first 'spoke' to each other. RJ, unlike most guys when faced with the same situation, remembered that day very clearly.

"Ah, you mean the day you first came to JKP?" The Pai Zhuq master recalled. "I remember it well. When I first saw you...I thought that you were beautiful and that you had the sweetest voice I ever heard." He began. "And that there was no way I'd have a shot with you." He cringed.

Gwen was taken aback by his statement.

"What? Why would you think that?" She asked in shock.

"Well, think about it. Here you come, walking in all put together, nice hair, nice skirt and a lab coat...and there I was in a flour-dusted jacket, zebra print bandana and an apron. I guess I thought you were out of my league." He admitted finally.

"So, that's why you never said anything to me until that day?" Gwen asked softly.

RJ nodded meekly. Looking back on it, his reason did seem rather shallow, but at the time, he thought it was the truth. Gwen just gave RJ a smile letting him know that his preconceived notions were way off.

"I don't know why you'd think I was above you. I'm no different from you. You work for what you have and so do I. I love my job and I know you love yours. If anything, we had two things in common right off the bat." She chuckled. "But back on the subject, what made you finally introduce yourself to me?"

RJ's face had a slight tinge of pink when she asked him that.

"I wasn't sure if I'd ever get to see you again so I took a shot. I'm glad I did now." He replied sincerely as he took her hand in his. "Now, it's my turn to grill you. No pun intended." He chuckled. "What were your first impressions of me?"

Gwen shifted uncomfortably in her stool and her face contorted into an expression that practically screamed 'do you **really **wanna know?' She wasn't sure just how RJ would take her answer.

"Well..." She began and cast her eyes upward hoping for anything to happen where she didn't have to answer. _"No hurtling asteroids, huh? Thanks a __**lot**__!" _She thought to the powers that be. "To be honest, when I first saw you..._oh, boy_...I thought you were some kind of fruit loop." She replied quickly as she squinted her eyes.

At the stairs, the four rangers who were blatantly eavesdropping, quickly covered their mouths to keep the giggles that were bubbling up within them from escaping.

"Well, that's very...you thought I was **what!?**" RJ shouted in amusement. He wasn't mad; he knew what she meant. But the rangers...they couldn't keep it in any longer and soon, their boisterous laughter gave them away. RJ and Gwen whipped their heads to the sound of the rangers laughing and smirked. They knew their moment 'alone' was too good to be true.

"Okay, guys. Come on out." Gwen ordered playfully.

One by one, Casey and the others crawled up the stairs and onto the loft kitchen floor. They were laughing so hard, they couldn't steady themselves enough to walk in under their own power. Theo rolled over on his back as he tried to stop the laughter that threatened to asphyxiate him.

"Okay, I can honestly say I've never heard anyone be called that before." The jaguar said in between giggles.

"How long were you guys listening?" RJ asked with his arms folded.

"Since...we left?" Lily chuckled nervously.

"But, back to you guys. What did you mean by...'fruit loop'?" Casey asked as he broke out into laughter again.

Gwen just hung her head and shook it in humor.

"What I meant was when I first came to JKP and while I was waiting on my order, I thought RJ was...stalking me." She cringed playfully as she turned her eyes to said pizza chef.

"I was not stalking you. I was...I was...I was admiring you from an extremely close distance." He was about to say something else when he saw five rangers give him the 'yeah, right' look complete with raised eyebrows. Feeling outnumbered, the Pai Zhuq master conceded. "Okay, I was _kinda_ stalking you. But only because I was too chicken to talk to you then." RJ said in his own defense.

The others chuckled and took their spots at the island and resumed their breakfast.

"Okay, we'll let you go with that one. Considering that you were pretty much a statue the day **we **finally met her." The cheetah giggled. "And no, we're never letting you live that down." She smirked.

RJ hung his head and laughed. He should have known his hesitation would come back to haunt him. As Gwen stood to stretch, Theo remembered their conversation about last night and it brought up an interesting question.

"Hey, Gwen. I've been meaning to ask you this since we met, but, how did you and Keenan get your Master Stripes?" The jaguar asked.

Gwen tilted her head slightly as the jaguar's guts to ask a question about something so classified.

"Trying to get an early advantage for when you go after your stripes?" Gwen smirked. "Because the test requirements are switched up for every group of students."

"What? No, of course I...what I mean is...crud." He stammered in defeat making his teammates look away in mock shame. Seeing his friends acting ashamed, Theo was a little put off, but only a little. "Anyway..." He began slightly annoyed. "So, what's your story?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that, myself." The red tiger added.

Casey, Lily and RJ all focused their attention to the two siblings as they prepared to tell their tale. How that day transpired was something of a revelation for Keenan and Gwen...in more ways than one.

"Let's just say we found our true path that day." Keenan chuckled as he and his sister thought back to their Academy days.

_**[Flashback]**_

_**It was the night before a teenage Gwen and Keenan were slated to take their Master's Test and a nasty storm was whipping up outside. With the exception of the occasional thunderclap, the academy was silent as Masters and students alike were asleep for the night, resting up for another day of grueling training. The young panther was fast asleep in her room when her thoughts were invaded by an eerie dream.**_

**[Dream Sequence]**

**Gwen found herself in a lush forest teeming with wildlife. She took a deep breath and enjoyed the clean air as she listened to the abundant sounds of the animals scurrying around when suddenly the sounds started to fade into a deafening silence. She looked around in horror for any signs of life other than the surrounding foliage and found that all the animals were gone.**

"**What's going on? What happened to the animals?" She gasped.**

**A flash of light blinds Gwen momentarily and this time she was transported to desert where the outcome was the same. Not a living creature in sight; at this point she would have tolerated the sight of her biggest fear: the tarantula, if it meant there was something alive there besides herself. In her dream, she was taken to the frigid arctic, the depths of the ocean, and the wetlands where she strained to find any animal still crawling around or at least hear the sound of one. But not even an earthworm was seen. Now in a panic, one more flash of light transported her to the jungles where, thankfully, she caught sight of a tiger, a cheetah with her cubs, a jaguar, a wolf, an eagle and a panther. But to her horror, they, along with the other jungle animals, were starting to vanish before her eyes.**

"**No! What's going on!?" She cried as she tried to run to the animals in a last ditch effort to save them, but she felt as if she were trying to run through mud that was up to her neck. It was worse than slow motion. The ebony feline, who seemed to be leading this doomed group of animals, looked at Gwen with pleading saffron eyes that peered right to her soul before speaking.**

"**Listen carefully. My time, as well as the other creatures of this planet, is running out. We're being driven closer to extinction by the hands of man, but thankfully, it is also man who is striving to protect us. But I'm afraid it's not enough." The panther explained, its eyes never leaving Gwen's.**

"**What do you mean it's not enough?" The young Pai Zhuq student asked.**

**The panther looked back at the other animals who were roaring in fear as they disappeared and then turned to face Gwen, its own body fading before her eyes.**

"**I mean those who fight for us need you-we need you!" Before it completely disappeared, it uttered four last words as they echoed through her mind:**

"**Help us, young panther!" **

**[End Dream]**

_**Gwen shot up in a sitting position and was panting heavily. Sweat beaded on her body as she threw the covers off of her and put on her black robe and bunny slippers. That dream shook her to the core and she had to tell someone about, so she ran out of her room and went to find the first person she thought of: Keenan. Maybe he'd make sense of what her dream meant; this was no run-of-the-mill dream where butterflies and visions of The Rock graced her thoughts. This was huge! She was no more then three feet from her door when she ran smack dab into a tall form dressed in a silver robe. Looking up and rubbing her now sore nose, she saw that it was the very person she was looking for.**_

"_**Keenan? Just who I need to talk to." She whispered low enough to not wake anyone else.**_

"_**Ditto, but let me go first. What I have to say is big." He replied.**_

_**Gwen looked up at her brother and noticed that his demeanor was the same as hers-out of breath, sweating and from the look in his eyes, shocked out of his mind. She could only guess that he also had a wild dream.**_

"_**Okay, fine. You go first." Gwen conceded.**_

_**Keenan took a deep, cleansing breath and started to tell his sister what was on his mind.**_

"_**Gwen, I had the scariest dream. And before you say anything, no, it had nothing to do with the clown from 'It'." He clarified before going on. "I was in all these different places, but I couldn't find a single animal. Not even a bug! The next thing I knew, I'm in this jungle where a tiger, a mama cheetah and her cubs, a panther, a jaguar, a wolf and an eagle were vanishing and the eagle told me that they needed my help. Heavy, huh?"**_

_**Gwen just looked at him vacantly before she spoke.**_

"_**Wanna know what's even heavier? I had the exact same dream." Gwen replied.**_

_**Keenan gasped in revelation. Now, he was convinced; this dream was more than just a dream-it was a message.**_

"_**We have to tell daddy about this." Gwen suggested.**_

_**Nodding in agreement, Keenan and Gwen made their way to their father's chambers and, forgetting that they were trying not to wake up the entire school, pounded on his ornate wooden door and shouted his name.**_

"_**Dad! Wake up! We need to talk to you!" The siblings shouted.**_

_**This went on until the sound of flesh banging against wood was replaced with the dull noise of flesh hitting...flesh. Unbeknownst to the teens, the large door had opened and they were now pounding on the increasingly sore chest of their father. Noticing that the loud banging sound had changed, they looked up to see a smirking Master Mao looking down at them.**_

"_**Hi, dad." They chuckled nervously in unison.**_

"_They've gotten stronger."__** He thought as he coughed lightly. "If you two are done using me as a punching bag and waking up the entire school, why don't you come in?" He asked as he ushered in his children. He saw how their expressions turned serious as they sat down on his bed.**_

"_**Now, what is it that has you both so tense?" He said bringing Gwen and Keenan two cups of hot tea.**_

_**Taking a sip, Gwen spoke first.**_

"_**Dad..."**_

"_**Uh oh; this must be serious. You hardly ever call me 'dad' unless it was." Master Mao interrupted.**_

"_**It is. I had this nightmare and it turns out Keenan had the same dream..." She began as she told every detail to her father. Once she finished, she and her brother waited for his reaction. "Dad, I don't know what to do. I want to do what I can to help but...I also want to be a Pai Zhuq master. What should I do?"**_

_**Master Mao took his seat close to his children and mulled over their dream while sipping his own tea. Since he adopted the two children, he felt the connection they had with animals strengthen and knew that this decision would come for both of them; he just didn't think it would come so soon.**_

"_**Well, Lotus, I can see where this would have you conflicted. And as much as I wish I could help you, the decision falls on your shoulders. You, alone, have that choice to make." Her father told her wisely. And, unfortunately for her, he was right...as usual. She could ask him for all the advice he had, but in the end, it was up to her.**_

"_Why can't you just tell me what do to like normal dads?"** Gwen thought bemused. "Okay, I'll think about it. But, just so you know, you could give me some kind of clue as to which path I should travel." She smirked.**_

"_**Now, what kind of father would I be if I did that?" He asked returning the smirk.**_

"_**A normal one?" Keenan chimed in with a chuckle.**_

_**Master Mao let out a laugh as he hugged his children before they left his room to go back to their own quarters. Gwen plopped face down onto her bed and turned over on her side before drifting off. The choice weighed heavily on her mind as she slept; tomorrow was the day of her test and her actions would determine if she'd be a master or not.**_

_**The next day approached and the time for Gwen and Keenan's Master's test had arrived. The two teens were dressed in their slate and black uniforms as they were led to the testing area where their father and various masters stood by the large golden gong. Neither student knew what was in store for them but they did know, from their chats with other students, that the test changes with every group of students. One group had to run a gauntlet through the woods while another has to sit and meditate outside for a week, and that was when a thunderstorm hit the academy.**_

"_I can't even imagine what they're gonna make us do."** Gwen thought to herself.**_

_**Her heart was filling with dread. Not only because of the upcoming test, but because of her dream last night and the choice she would inevitably have to make. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Master Finn walked up to the gong, with mallet in hand, struck the instrument until its metallic song reverberated throughout the courtyard. Once it died down and everyone around recovered from the temporary loss of hearing, the Shark Master spoke.**_

"_**Gwendolyn, Keenan. This is the day where we find out if you earn your Master stripes." He grinned lightly before continuing. "The two of you have been training hard since you arrived and now, the time has come for your test."**_

_**Keenan and Gwen bowed before looking to their father who had stepped back. For obvious reasons, he took a back seat as not to show favoritism towards his children.**_

"_**Take a few minutes to mentally prepare, and we'll start."**_

_**Both teens sat in the lotus position and closed their eyes as they meditated. Keenan was focused, but Gwen was torn. That dream affected her more than she cared to admit and the masters noticed. A few minutes passed before Master Finn ordered them to stand.**_

"_**Students, the time for your Master's test has arrived. To pass...you must each defeat a master of our choosing." Master Finn nodded to the opposite side of the concrete area where two opponents stood. One was a tall, muscular man with bronze skin and a bald head. The other was a slender woman with blonde hair streaked with green highlights. Keenan looked at the man who would fight him and nodded before looking to his sister to see if she was ready.**_

"_**I'm so psyched for this! How about you?" Keenan asked Gwen as he bounced on the balls of his feet.**_

_**Gwen just looked at Keenan with a look of uncertainty as she shrugged her shoulders in response. Then she looked at her opponent and was even more unsure.**_

"_**Ready..." Master Finn started.**_

_**Keenan and his opponent took their defensive stances while Gwen's opponent took hers. Gwen, slowly went into hers and was ready to fight...that is until she heard the sounds of an animal in distress. Following it to the source, she saw a tiny fawn limping out from the trees.**_

"_**Begin!" Master Finn shouted as he banged the gong for the second time. Keenan and his adversary began their fight, but Gwen's attention was focused on the fawn. The poor thing was in excruciating pain as its hind leg looked dislocated. She was slated to battle with her opponent but she was fighting a greater battle within her heart. Her head ping ponged back and forth between the master and the baby deer. Master stripes or a fawn's life...which meant more to her?**_

"_**I'm sorry! I can't do this!" Gwen shouted as she ran off the concrete stand. She ran to the screeching deer and knelt down next to it trying to assess its injuries. The fawn bucked and struggled as it tried to get away since Gwen was unfamiliar to her.**_

"_**It's okay, little one. I won't hurt you." Gwen replied soothingly.**_

_**She stroked the fawn's head and as it looked into Gwen's eyes, it immediately calmed down.**_

"_**I'm here to help."**_

_**As Gwen took her black sash off to use in a splint, she felt someone kneel beside her.**_

"_**No, **_**we're**_** here to help." Keenan said winking at his sister.**_

_**Gwen whipped her head around to see that her brother had forgone his test in order to help her with the small fawn.**_

"_**Keenan, you can still take the test. You can still get your Master stripes." Gwen whispered as she felt for the dislocated joint in the fawn's leg. "I don't want you to lose out on your chance because of me."**_

"_**Sis, we both had the same dream last night and we both had the same choice to make. And it looks like we both chose the same thing." Keenan whispered back. "Okay, I'll hold the little guy down while you pop his leg back into place."**_

_**Gwen nodded as she looked at the baby deer. She could see the pain in its dark eyes and spoke softly to the frightened animal.**_

"_**This is going to hurt, sweetie, but it's so we can make it better. Okay? It'll only take a moment." Gwen said reassuringly.**_

_**When the fawn calmed down, Gwen took the opportunity to pop its leg back into its socket. The baby let out a scream but it only lasted for a moment, just as Gwen promised. Keenan took his sister's sash and tied the baby deer's leg so it would have a chance to heal without too much movement. The young eagle picked up the tiny baby and carried it to the fight area with Gwen right beside him. Both students looked up at the masters' faces and saw that their actions were less than appreciated.**_

"_**Would you mind telling me what was the meaning of your running out in the middle of a Master's test?" Master Finn asked in a booming voice.**_

_**He and the other masters in attendance looked at the sibling and wondered the exact same thing...all, but one. Master Mao knew and he was proud of his children.**_

"_**Well, say something!" The Shark Master ordered.**_

_**Keenan was about to speak, but Gwen cut him off. She wasn't about to let him go down with the ship with her.**_

"_**This is my fault! But I don't regret anything I did today." She began, her face never faltering. "Last night, I had a dream where all the planet's animals vanished and they pleaded for my help. When I woke up from it, I took a lot of time to do some soul searching. Yes, I do want to be a Pai Zhuq master and as most of you know, I love animals, too, and I'd do anything to help them. So, I had to make a choice. Do I pursue my dream of earning my stripes or do I look at the bigger picture and try to help save the animals?" Keenan looked at his sister and she helped up her hand to stop him from interrupting. "Well, I'm sorry, but my choice is the animals. I know we're training to be guardians of the box that holds Dai Shi's spirit, but if I don't do something to help now, the animals we represent will become just that-spirits. So, you can kick me out of the academy, I don't care. But don't penalize Keenan for helping me. He deserves another chance to get his stripes." Gwen finished her speech and petted the baby deer as it nuzzled her hand.**_

"_**Sis, wait!" Keenan had to speak his peace. "If she goes, then so do I. We came here together, and we'll leave here together. She deserves a second chance, too. You're not gonna find anyone with more heart and determination than her. She loves this place and everyone and everything in it. And if you're gonna count this one act against her, then maybe you don't deserve your stripes."**_

_**Gwen looked to her brother with questioning eyes.**_

"_**Keenan, what do you think you're doing?" She whispered.**_

"_**Standing by you." He answered. "And I meant every word."**_

_**Master Finn and the other masters listened intently to the siblings speeches and gathered for a conference in the corner of the courtyard. Keenan and Gwen stood in the test area wondering what they were chatting so secretively about.**_

"_**You think they're gonna tell us we failed?" Gwen whispered to her brother.**_

"_**Right now, I'm just hoping they let us stay." Keenan whispered back as the fawn looked up at him.**_

_**After deliberating for what seemed like forever, they returned with Master Finn taking the lead.**_

"_**I have to admit that in all my years of teaching at Pai Zhuq, I have never witnessed a student run out during a test for any reason, let alone for a fawn." The baby deer just looked up at the shark master and snorted playfully. "And your speeches...as eloquent as they were, they weren't enough to warrant excusing you from the test...but seeing you come to the aid of this animal was." Gwen and Keenan's eyes widened as they listened to their test administrator. "A Pai Zhuq master's human sprit and animal spirit are intertwined. Without the animal, we're nothing. So, with out blessing, you two may pursue your calling to protect the animals of the planet."**_

_**Keenan was happy, as was Gwen, but she was still worried.**_

"_**Wait...what about the test?" She asked.**_

"_**Look at your arms." Master Swoop said with a smirk.**_

_**Gwen pulled up her right sleeve and a black aura shone as it formed her stripes on the inside of her forearm.**_

"_**Oh...my...God! I got my stripes? Not that I'm not thrilled, I am. But why?" Gwen asked.**_

_**Keenan handed the fawn to Gwen as he looked as his own right arm and a silver aura formed his stripes inside his forearm.**_

"_**This is awesome! But...how?"**_

"_**The reason you two earned your stripes was because you understand that the animals are the soul of Pai Zhuq." Gwen's female opponent explained.**_

"_**As Master Finn said, without the animals, we're nothing." Keenan's opponent chimed in.**_

_**Keenan and Gwen both bowed to the masters as Master Mao stepped forward and smiled at his children. They exceeded every one of his expectations.**_

"_**You have no idea how proud I am of you both. Congratulations on achieving Master Status."**_

_**As everyone cheered, the feline master hugged his adoptive sone and daughter.**_

"_**And on a lighter note...Gwen, Keenan...the next time you kids have a nightmare and you wanna tell someone about...wait til morning." Master Swoop smirked.**_

"_**We promise." The siblings laughed.**_

_**[End Flashback]**_

"And that's how it happened. Not your typical outcome, but hey, nothing that happens nowadays is typical anymore." Gwen chuckled.

RJ and the rangers were in awe. They had no idea the black and silver rangers went through such an adventure.

"That was such an awesome story!" Lily whispered.

"That must have been some intense dream." Theo added.

"You have no idea." Keenan replied.

"Can you imagine what would have happened if you guys didn't have that dream?" Casey asked.

"I don't even want to think about it." Gwen shuddered. She did think about what would have happened. She never would have been a vet; she never would have a job she loves; she never would have been a ranger and met Casey and the gang; and most importantly...she never would have met RJ and that was the kicker for her. With a smile, she looked down at her watch and her eyes grew wide. "Oh, man! Guys, I hate to cut this short, but if Keenan and I don't book right now, we're gonna be late!"

"Oh, do you have to? It feels like you just got here." The Pai Zhuq master replied with a pout.

RJ looked disappointed. He hoped he'd have at least one more minute with the black ranger. Gwen looked at his sad face and those puppy dog eyes he was giving her and giggled.

"_Oh, those eyes. He's turned that look into an art form!"_ She thought playfully. "Aww, don't pout. I'll come back for lunch, we might be able to spend it together, okay?" She asked stroking his facial stubble making him smile.

"Now how can I refuse such a tempting offer?" He replied, his swagger returning.

With a chuckle, she kissed him on the cheek before running out with Keenan in tow and everyone saying bye to them.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile...

Camille skulked in the catacombs of the lair. The memory of her near victory over the black ranger irked her constantly. She was so close to getting rid of her but the rangers came through with the antidote. That, alone, was enough to make her clench her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white. But one image did overshadow the sting of her defeat, even if foe a moment. Seeing Velociviper destroyed was a rare treat. Her moment of savoring the snake's demise was short lived as Flit buzzed around her head in a taunting manner.

"I don't want to rub salt in your wounds...but this is like, what, the third time that black cat got the better of you?" Flit asked. "Or was it the fourth? I lost count."

Camille snarled at the buzzing little announcer and grabbed him by his bulbous head.

"If I wanted you to keep score, I'd have asked you a long time ago!" The chameleon replied as she shook him like a martini. "But that doesn't matter. She has nine lives...but I'm determined to take a few of them away...if not all of them. I have a plan."

"That's what you said last time...and the time before...and the time before that." Flit droned. "What makes this time any different? You're gonna lure her with a giant ball of catnip? Because that only works in the movies." Flit joked.

"Joke all you like, you motor mouthed maggot." The wily chameleon growled. "This plan will work."

"Okay, I'm all ears. Well, technically I don't **have **any ears, but that's beside the point." Flit rambled. "Whatcha got?"

Camille held a silk pouch and produced a golden idol of a bird. Flit looked at the statue's decorative tail plumage and scoffed.

"A cockatoo? Your plan to finally defeat the rangers involves...a cockatoo?"

"This, my flittery fly, is a lyre bird. It's able to mimic any sound it hears." Camille explains as she places it on the head of a nearby rinshi causing it to change. "Say hello to Passerina!"

The rinshi's form expanded and exploded into its final form. The creature was as Camille promised. Standing in front of the unlikely pair was a female lyre bird with ornate tail plumage shaped like the instrument that was her species namesake and a feathery, striped punk mohawk. Passerina stroked the hair on top of her head and instead of the melodic tune you'd expect, the sound of a rocking electric guitar echoed.

"Passerina at your service, and yes, I do take requests!" The avian minion cackled.

Flit buzzed around the new enemy and was less than impressed.

"You're grasping at straws, Camille. What's she gonna do to the rangers with music? If I remember right, Stingerella tried this tactic and she got vaporized." Flit reminded his reptilian hostess.

Camille snarled at her small fly and looked to her newest creation.

"Give him a sample of your work." Camille ordered simply.

"Rockin'!" Passerina shouted.

She strummed the slender feathers of her tail and the sound of a flute wafted through the air. Camille covered her ears while Flit started buzzing in rhythmic patterns around the room.

"Wha-hey! I can't stop! What are you doing!?" Flit asked as he tried to stop dancing.

"This is her special talent. I'm sure you heard the story of the Pied Piper. Well, her music can basically make the listener do anything she wants...anything." Camille smirked as she gave Passerina a silent cue. Taking the hint, Passerina changed her tune slightly and made Flit fly repeatedly into the brick wall next to the crafty lizard.

"Wait...ow! I...ow! Believe you...ow!" The tiny fly relented as he kept getting slammed.

Camille nodded again and the lyre bird rinshi stopped strumming her tail feathers long enough for Flit to zigzag to his owner.

"Let's go again!" He slurred dizzily.

"Once the rangers hear her music, they won't be able to defend themselves. They'll be rendered powerless making them easy pickings for Dai Shi." Camille smirked. "Just imagine, Flit. The rangers not in control of their own bodies...unable to morph...unable to fight..."

"Unable to see straight...like a certain fly I know." Flit buzzed.

"That can be arranged. Passerina, you seem to have rehearsed long enough. I think it's time you made your debut on Ocean Bluff."

"I was hoping you'd say the word. Time for my concert!"

"Oh, one more thing...if you happen to run into the black ranger, make her suffer!" Camille sneered.

Passerina cackled as she skipped from the catacombs en route to an unsuspecting Ocean Bluff.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Back at the Animal Hospital...

Keenan and Gwen were in the middle of their morning rounds and had already checked on the patients in the wild animal compound. While Keenan looked over his list of new patients, Gwen was speaking to Nancy, one of her most trusted assistants.

"Okay, Nancy, how are the reptiles holding..." She never got to finish her sentence because something came over her and her voice seemed to have a mind of its own. **"I thought I told you to tie your hair back!"**

That sudden outburst made Gwen clamp her hands over her mouth in shock. Her eyes bugged out in surprise; she was going to talk to Nancy about her hair...but she was never going to yell at her.

"Oh, my God! Nancy, I'm so sorry! I never meant to yell; I don't know what came over me!" Gwen frantically apologized.

Nancy nodded. She was very forgiving and knew Gwen would never yell...especially over something so trivial as not having her hair tied in a ponytail during work hours. Yes, there was a dress code, but not having a ponytail was nothing to shout about. Keenan heard the outburst and went to his sister.

"Are you okay, Gwen?" A concerned Keenan asked.

Gwen just turned to face her brother and her face spoke volumes. She was surprised, she was flat out scared. The only time she every shouted like that was the day they were adopted by master Mao and those boys pushed Keenan down.

"I-I don't know. I never did...**you still haven't paid me back that five bucks you owe me!**" Once again, her hands flew to her mouth as she gasped. "I'm sorry, bro! I don't know why I snapped like that!"

Keenan was now growing worried as his sister couldn't seem to control her own mouth.

"It's okay. I'll go get you the five bucks right now." He replied as he went to find his wallet.

"Keenan, the money isn't even important. Forget it, please." Gwen begged before turning to Nancy again. This time she felt anxious because she didn't know whether her voice would be normal or if it would turn into another shouting match. "Okay, Nancy, about those...**Nancy, make sure those vaccine vials are stored properly!**"

Gwen cringed as she heard her voice and banged her head on the desk. She didn't know what else to do. After she finished giving herself a concussion, she looked up to a very worried Nancy.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I've never snapped like that before. Nancy, I am so sorry. You've don't nothing wrong; I want you to know that." Gwen reassured.

Her assistant just gave her a warm smile. Since she was hired by Gwen a few years ago, she'd seen the head vet at her best and at her worst. She also hadn't known Gwen to be anything else besides her soft-spoken self.

"It's cool. I can understand that stress gets to people. This job can definitely take its toll on you, especially if you love animals." Nancy explained with a soft smile. "Maybe you should go take a walk to clear your head. Keenan and I can handle things here until you come back."

"Are you sure." Gwen asked making sure it was alright.

"We're sure, sis." Keenan agreed as he gave Gwen her jacket and a hug. "Take your time."

"Okay, and I really am sorry." She apologized again.

"It's okay, really." Nancy reaffirmed.

With a small smile, Gwen left the animal hospital and went for a cleansing walk. She didn't know where she was going, but some time away from the hustle and bustle of her job would do her some good.

"What's going on with me?" The black ranger asked herself. "It's like I'm coming down with Tourette's or something!"

As Gwen walked towards the main section of downtown, A certain lyre bird had appeared and was ready to cause her own brand of mayhem.

"Hmmm, this stage looks perfect for my debut." Passerina laughed evilly as she stroked her head feathers. "Okay, Ocean Bluff, tune your ears to this!"

Passerina strummed her tail plumage until it played a booming rock guitar song. The music flowed through the city and anyone who listened lost control of their bodies. Pedestrians and bike riders who were preparing to cross the street found themselves walking right into busy traffic while those driving cars swerved off of the road and into vendor carts and lamp posts on the sidewalks.

"Now this is what I call 'slam' dancing!" Passerina cackled.

Gwen, who was close to the mayhem, heard the sounds of people screaming for help and ran to the source of the noise. When she arrived at the core of Downtown Ocean Bluff, she saw Passerina playing her feathers like a rock guitar and relishing in the havoc she was causing.

"Hey, knock it off, bird brain!" Gwen shouted as she caught sight of the culprit.

Passerina stopped playing long enough to turn around and face Gwen.

"Now who's this little lemming?" Passerina quipped.

"You're about to find out!"

Feeling that a punching bag was just what the doctor ordered, Gwen slipped on her Solar Morphers, tapped the left side of them and shouted...

"**Jungle Beast! Spirit Unleashed!"**

Going through her kata, she transforms into the Black Ranger and takes a defensive stance. Passerina just laughed a her primary target just revealed herself.

"Ah! So you're the Black Ranger Camille is talking about?"

"Hmmph. Nice to know I made a lasting impression on her." Gwen replied.

"Indeed, you did. Although looking at you know, I don't see anything the slightest bit impressive about you." The lyre bird rinshi insulted.

As if Gwen wasn't agitated enough. Now this reject from Colonel Sanders has the audacity to insult her. Clenching her fists, the panther was wound up tighter than a two dollar watch and she was ready to shove this bird's beak down her throat.

"You want a demo? Just say the word!" Gwen replied using a musical pun.

Passerina just waved the Panther Ranger closer indicating that she was ready to brawl. With a snarl, Gwen charges the waiting lyre bird and they immediately trade blows. Gwen was going full blast but Passerina blocked every punch and kick the black cat threw at her.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Back at JKP...

The alarms start blaring on RJ's tv system making him and the three rangers rush to the viewing area. They were shocked to see Gwen fighting with Passerina and having trouble.

"It's Gwen, but what's that she's fighting?" Lily asked as she observed the fight in progress.

"Who cares? She needs help!" Theo replied.

RJ watched as Gwen struggled in her battle and sat in his chair.

"Contact Keenan and tell him to meet at Gwen's location. This looks like one tough bird." The Pizza Master quipped.

"We're on it! Let's go, guys!" Casey ordered.

The three rangers swung through the portal and as they ran to Gwen's location, Casey tapped the side of his shades to activate the comlink.

"Keenan! Keenan, pick up!"

At the animal hospital, Keenan heard his shades beeping and told Nancy that he'd be right back. Going into his office, he dons his Solar Morpher and opened his end of the comlink.

"Yeah, Casey?"

"Keenan, meet us downtown! Gwen's fighting a monster and she needs help!"

"I'm on my way!"

Keenan slipped off his shades and went to the foyer of the hospital to tell Nancy that he had an errand to run and that he'd be right back. Seeing her agree, he ran out to help his sister. Downtown, Gwen was still having difficulty putting away Passerina as the lyre bird proved to be more formidable than the panther first thought.

"What's wrong, kitty? Getting tired? Maybe you should just give up; save yourself the trouble." Passerina goaded.

"Shut it, Budgie!" Gwen growled as she fought harder.

She goes in for a frontal attack but gets knocked back into a car by a laser blast from Passerina's beak. Gwen's energy was dropping as she struggled to get back up.

"_What's wrong with me?"_ The Black ranger growled to herself. She was halfway to her feet when she sees Passerina closing in on her.

"Looks like you're on your last life! Too bad it's gonna get cut short!" Passerina cackled.

She strummed her head feathers until they glowed a bright red. She was about to launch her final attack when another blast hit her right in the chest, blowing her away from Gwen.

"**Get away from her!"** Casey shouted as he and the other morphed rangers joined their battered teammate.

"Am I glad to see you guys!" Gwen groaned in pain. "Watch this one; she's a toughie."

Lily looked at the lyre bird and at first glance, she didn't look like much of a threat. I mean, what can a second rate peacock do?

"So are we!" The cheetah replied.

The lyrical avian rinshi was now perturbed that the solo act of the Black Ranger had now turned into a quintet.

"Oh, great. Everyone wants to get into the act. What is this, _America's Got Talent!?_" Passerina groaned in annoyance.

"Doesn't matter! You're gonna be singing a brand new tune. **Jungle Fans!**" Theo shouted.

"**Jungle Mace"**

"**Jungle Chucks!"**

"**Jungle Sais!"**

"**Jungle Katanas!"**

Passerina sees the rangers now equipped with their weapons and looked completely unimpressed.

"You're preaching to the choir! Rinshi!"

With a snap of her fingers, a horde of hopping minions advance towards the rangers.

"We've heard this song before!" Casey replied as he led his team into battle. Weapons clashed and bodies were flung as the rangers took control of the battle easily. Once they disposed of the rinshi, they turned their attention back to their main focus, Passerina.

"Is that all you got? Spare me! Lemme show you some real instruments!"

Passerina stood back and strummed her tail feathers until they played the same rock tune that whipped the citizens into an uncontrollable frenzy. At first, nothing happened, but soon, the rangers all start moving to the music...unfortunately, it was against their will.

"What's going on?" Theo asked as his body started to twitch. Soon he and the other rangers were dancing...rather badly...to the hypnotic music.

"I love dancing as much as the next person, but this is ridiculous!" Lily grunted as she tried to fight it.

"I can't stop!" Casey shouted as his body jerked.

"Neither can I!" Gwen agreed. She was never much of a dancer and having her lack of talent shown in public just made her more self conscious.

"This is a disgrace to dancing! Wade Robson, I'm sorry!" Keenan shouted to the sky.

"Oh, this is just the first verse. Here comes the chorus!" Passerina quipped with another musical pun.

Changing the rhythm of the song she was playing to a faster beat, the rangers all faced each other in a circle and attacked each other with their own weapons. Sparks flew as each ranger fell back from the force of the attacks. Gwen, was now livid.

"That's it! I've had it with you!"

She got up from the ground and charged at Passerina once more with all she had left, but it felt like she was somehow holding back.

"_I can't let her get to me!"_ She thought as she threw more punches that had no effect. _"I can't lose control!"_

Passerina flawlessly blocked every advance and let out s sigh of boredom.

"Honestly, is this all you have? Is this the end of your track? Sorry, chick, but you're nothing but a One Hit Wonder!"

The last she was saving for the other rangers was given to Gwen as she used her sonic blast to throw her into her team.

"And to think Camille had a hard time beating you! Ha! Until next time, rangers...Bye Bye Bye!" With a cackle, the lyre bird flies away to report to Camille and Dai Shi.

"No!" Gwen growled as she punched the blacktop. "Nothing we did made a dent!"

Her friends went to her and helped her up. Seeing how she held back in her fight, they were naturally concerned.

"Gwen, are you alright?" The Silver Eagle asked.

Gwen looked into her brother's hemlet and replied in a soft voice...

"I don't know."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Back at the loft...

Casey goes over the last fight with everyone and his focus turned to Gwen, who worried him the most.

"Gwen, I never seen you like this before. You usually go all out in a fight."

"I know...it's like I...**I wanna wring that lizard's neck!**" Gwen shouted. The volume of her voice made everyone jerk back in surprise. Hearing such a loud voice come from someone who was known to be 'quiet' was a shock. Gathering his courage, Theo was the first to speak.

"I'm guessing you mean Camille?"

Gwen quickly turned to Theo and answered him.

"**No, I mean Godzilla! Of course I mean Camille!!"** Gwen quickly smacks her hands over her mouth and gasps after realizing that she just snapped at her friend. "Oh, my...Theo, I am so sorry!"

Lily carefully went to a frightened Gwen and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Gwen, I know this is stressful, but you have to control your anger." The cheetah pleaded.

Gwen leaned next to the juke box and put her head down on it.

"It's like I can't control my mouth." Gwen whispered. "And this isn't the first time this happened. I snapped at the hospital, too, before I fought that KFC candidate."

She looked up and the strain was clearly visible on her warm face making her friend worry even more. As they tried to console Gwen, none of them knew that someone was watching and listening to them, or that this someone had been watching them since their battle with Passerina.

"Guys, I don't know what's wrong with me." Gwen whispered.

"I believe I do." A woman's voice echoed throughout the loft making everyone take a defensive stance.

"Who's there!? Show yourself!" Casey demanded loudly.

Everyone looked around until their eyes fell on a shadow by the door...

XXXXXXXXXXXX

End of Chapter One

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Looks like they have a visitor, but is it friend...or foe? And what IS going on with Gwen? She's snapping at everything nowadays! Think she'll deal with it? Well, you guys know the drill, read review....ESPECIALLY REVIEW. And pass it on! New readers are welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here's chapter 2. Sorry this took so long and that it's so short. But with the flashback I have in it, I figure I timed it just right for today. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own PR or Disney. And Happy Mother's Day!

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"I said who's there? I won't ask again!" Casey repeated his demand.

Everyone kept their defensive stances as they waited for the intruder to reveal himself. When the person stepped from the shadows, the rangers and RJ discovered that the intruder was a beautiful woman in her mid 30's with flowing blonde hair and streaks of green tinting a few choice locks.

"I'm known for my stealthy attacks. I didn't think I'd be discovered quite so easily." The woman replied with a smirk.

Hearing her comment, Casey, Lily and Theo stayed on the defensive, but Gwen, Keenan and RJ recognized her immediately and let their guard down.

"Master Dile. It's good to see you." RJ greeted.

Once RJ regarded the visitor as a master, Casey, Lily and Theo immediately bowed. The outfit Master Dile wore had sheer sleeves and they were able to see the Order of the Claw tattoo on the inside of her right forearm.

"RJ, it's been a while." The woman replied in a British accent. "Gwendolyn, Keenan. My how you two have grown."

The cubs looked the new master over and were intrigued. The other masters they have met were considerably older but this one looked like she could be RJ's sister.

"RJ, who is she?" Theo asked.

"Casey, Lily, Theo, this is Master Dile, holder of the crocodile spirit. Master Dile, these are my students." RJ formally introduced his pupils to the new master.

The three rangers waved to Master Dile who returned the favor.

"So, what brings you to my humble abode?" RJ asked with a flourish.

Master Dile slowly looked around his loft and took in his 'unique' flair for decorating, minus his messy workstation and arcade games. Once she scanned the entire area, she looked back to RJ and gave him a smirk.

"RJ, this place is a lot of things, but 'humble' hardly describes it." She chuckled. "You always did have eccentric taste, yet you make it work."

Theo raised an eyebrow and couldn't resist adding his two cents.

"'Eccentric'...isn't that just a fancy word for 'crazy'?" Theo joked.

"It is when you're rich." The Pai Zhuq pizza master replied with his patented swagger.

"But you're not..."

Theo couldn't finish his sentence because Lily quickly put her hand over his mouth. She remembered how the blue jaguar walked into cleaning up the entire loft shortly after RJ rescued them from the mantis rinshi. Giving a hearty laugh, Master Dile spoke again.

"In any rate, the reason I'm here is Gwendolyn."

Gwen just let out a long sigh. During her tenure as a student at Pai Zhuq, everyone else had just called her 'Gwen'. Only Master Dile had insisted on using her formal name.

"Master Dile, with all due respect, you can just call me Gwen. I mean, everyone else does." The panther spirit holder replied politely with a shrug.

"I know, but it's such a lovely name. Even its meaning it pretty." The crocodile holder defended with a smile.

None of the rangers ever fathomed what their own names meant, let alone someone else's, so when the crocodile master eluded to the meaning of the panther's birth name, everyone was intrigued including a certain chef.

"Is that a fact? So, what does her name mean?" RJ asked, his curiosity now heightened.

Master Dile grinned a little before answering. She could tell by his body language that RJ had fallen for the young panther.

"Her name means 'Goddess of the Moon'."

Gwen let out a small groan in embarrassment as her head dropped. She never liked being fussed over and that was precisely what Master Dile had in mind. It was her loop de loop way of helping Gwen be proud of who she was.

"Master Dile, why do you always do that to me?" Gwen asked with a shrug.

"Gwendolyn, I just want to show you that it's alright to share little snippets about who you are. And there's certainly nothing wrong with being proud of your own name. It's lovely." She replied with a smile.

Gwen just sighed heavily and folded her arms.

"It's not that I'm not proud of it; I am. I just don't like going around crowing about every little thing about me." Gwen softly protested.

"Why not? I think your name's really pretty." Lily gasped.

"_No, Lily. It's beautiful. Gwen has the perfect name."_ RJ thought wistfully.

The Crocodile Master eyed RJ as he wore his emotions all over his face. It was clear who he was thinking about.

"_Ah, young love."_ Master Dile thought happily. "But back to the matter at hand. I came to help Gwendolyn with her problem."

When Master Dile called her affliction a 'problem', Gwen lowered her head. It had become a hindrance in such a short span of time; she had built up a reputation for being even-tempered and compassionate...and now with those outbursts, there was a chance she could be labeled as 'schizo' and what person would want to take their ailing pet to a vet who has 'tics'?

"My problem? You mean why I'm lashing out at everyone?" Gwen asked timidly, afraid to talk any louder than her usual tone.

Master Dile nodded slowly. She had watched Gwen and Keenan since they first arrived at Pai Zhuq and found Gwen's soft demeanor refreshing. It was rare for someone her age, especially considering how hyper most seven-year-olds are. But she did notice something about the young panther growing up and that 'something' may have manifested itself into what was happening to her now.

"Yes, but I have a feeling that there's more to it than that."

"Like what?" Keenan asked.

Master Dile walked to the young Panther Master and gave her a reassuring smile.

"RJ, I think I can help her, but I'm going to need to borrow her for a little while." The crocodile master replied as she looked towards the pizza chef.

"If you think there's anything you can do to help her, of course."

"Wait, what about Passerina? Won't we need her help with that musical feather duster?" Casey asked.

The crocodile master just nodded to Casey before speaking.

"Don't worry, young tiger. When I bring Gwendolyn back, she'll be more than a match for Passerina." With a wink to the cubs, she turned her attention to Gwen. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, Master Dile." Gwen replied but before she took a step out of the door, she turned to face everyone. "Guys, I am really sorry about all this."

"Gwen, it's alright. There's nothing to apologize for." Lily replied with a sweet smile.

Gwen had a small smile on her face as she went out of the loft with her new trainer. The rangers and RJ watched as the two women left and hoped that they'd be able to hold of Passerina and her musical hypnosis long enough for Gwen to return.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Back at Dai Shi's lair...

Passerina walked proudly into Dai Shi's throne room like her avian cousin, the flamboyant peacock. Camille, who was anxiously awaiting the news of her underling's progress, was pleased when she noticed Passerina strutting her stuff. This was one time Flit would be glad he wasn't out of the chameleon's stomach.

"Looks like you really got into the panther ranger's head. Nice work, Passerina!" Camille giggled.

"Oh, it was so much fun, Camille. I really got under her skin." Passerina twittered. "She's just like a trumpet; to make it play right, you have to push the right buttons."

"So true. Now, we just need to finish off the other rangers." The wily chameleon pondered. "This has to be done with finesse. No ordinary demise will do for those constant pests."

Passerina knew exactly what Camille was driving at. She liked being creative with her victims.

"We are **so** on the same page, girl. Peep this...while the black ranger's out on her intermezzo, we lure the rangers out to the cliffs overlooking the beach and once I enchant them with my music, they'll be nothing more than lemmings as I make them dance themselves over the edge." With a flourish, she turns to her master. "How's that for a finale?"

Camille gave Passerina a devilish grin indicating that she liked the songbird's idea.

"Passerina, I do like your style. Go do what you do best." The sly lizard replied as she shooed her minion away.

Passerina giggled evilly as she strolled out of the throne room to cause another riot, passing Dai Shi as he entered. He had overheard their conversation and wasn't about to let his favorite underling go without alerting her of her shortcomings.

"It looks as if Passerina has gotten a leg up on you in regards to your feud with the Black Ranger." Dai Shi said in a low whisper.

Camille's grin fell once she heard her master's words and turned to face him.

"What are you talking about?" Camille stammered worriedly. The thought of anyone catching Dai Shi's interest in any way put her on edge. "She doesn't have an advantage over me."

"Oh, no? She managed to do something to the panther that you couldn't do since your first encounter with her...rattle her cage. Anyone who can shake the resolve of a strong warrior like that has high value among my ranks." The black lion snarled. "I want you to go with her on her little tour. See that she succeeds."

Camille was about to protest, but remembered what happened the last time she did.

"Yes, Dai Shi." She conceded with a bow.

As she left the throne room, she thought about her master's words and how they worried her:

"_**She managed to do something to the panther that you couldn't do since your first encounter with her...rattle her cage. Anyone who can shake the resolve of a strong warrior like that has high value among my ranks."**_

"_If she manages to get rid of the rangers, where would that put me?" _Camille thought as she bit her lower lip nervously. With all her past failures, anyone who even came close to defeating the rangers could take her top spot in the blink of an eye...**they'd **be Dai Shi's favorite.

"_I can't let that happen."_ She plotted.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile...

Master Dile and Gwen walked through the lush forest and as they did, the panther ranger took in all the scents and sounds that she grew to love when she was at the academy. While the pair walked, a couple of young fox kits scurried around her feet playfully as if they knew her presence would bring them no harm. Gwen giggled as the young creatures tagged along and kept pace with the two masters. She wanted to play with them but she remembered the lessons she taught the children at her animal hospital...that no matter how cute and cuddly they may be, contact with wild animals should be limited. That, and there was also a little matter called 'training' she had to take care of. While Gwen paid attention to the scenery, she noticed that Master Dile had taken Gwen to her special training grounds, a clearing located along a vast river a few miles from Master Phant's forest home. If it wasn't for the fact that they had passed the elephant master's house or that they were a few miles from Master Swoop's domain, Gwen would have thought that the crocodile master had taken her to the middle of nowhere. Taking note of their surroundings, Gwen spoke softly.

"Master Dile, I don't understand why you brought me here. I mean, it's peaceful..."

"But..." The blonde master interrupted. She wanted to know what was on the panther's mind. "I thought you liked peaceful."

"I do." Gwen sighed. "I've loved it ever since..." Gwen took a pause as a thought made her look away from the crocodile master.

"Since what?" Master Dile prodded gently.

The panther sighed softly. Her brown eyes closed slowly; she didn't want Master Dile to see the sadness reflected in them.

"Since my mom." She stopped in her tracks and her two crimson furred shadows did the same as one of the few memories of her deceased mother filled her mind.

_**[Flashback]**_

_**It was a few months before the fateful day when Gwen's mother would lose her life in a fatal car accident. The child had just celebrated her third birthday and was playing outside in her spacious backyard. It had the normal amenities any other child's backyard had: a swing set, a table for tea parties and a sand box, but every once in a while, the backyard would be frequented by visitors that Gwen wanted to play with...then animals from the small forest just beyond the fence. Whenever she saw a small fox, or even a bird, she would run out the back door squealing happily but because of her exuberance, the animals would always run away upsetting the three-year-old Gwen. On this particular day, her mother was watching and, as most mothers did, she went out to comfort her daughter the moment she started crying about the newest animal that went away.**_

"_**What's wrong, honey?" Gwen's mother asked in a calm voice as she knelt down. She was a nurse by nature so her bedside manner was always needed, especially when her favorite patient needed comforting.**_

_**Gwen, who was wearing blue jean overalls and had her hair in pigtails, quickly wiped her eyes before looking up at her mother. She'd just turned three and she didn't want to look like a crybaby...she was a 'big girl' now.**_

"_**Th-the bunny h-hopped aw-away." Gwen sniffled. "I just wanted to play with it."**_

_**Gwen's mother smiled warmly. Her little girl always had an affinity for animals...she just didn't have the volume control to approach them. Giving her daughter a hug, she stroked the little girl's hair before speaking.**_

"_**Sweetheart, I know you want to play with them, but most animals don't like it when people are too loud. It scares them away." The mother explained simply.**_

_**Gwen sniffled as she looked up at her mother, her brown eyes glistening with unshed tears.**_

"_**You mean, if I want them to play with me, I have to be quiet? Like you?" She asked wiping her eyes.**_

_**Her mother nodded with a grin.**_

"_**Does that really work?" Gwen asked cutely.**_

"_**Most of the time. If you want, we can try it. I know how much you like ducks. We can go to the pond and see if we can get one to come close, okay?"**_

_**Gwen grinned and nodded quickly. Ducks were one of her favorite animals and she always wanted to hold a duckling in her hand. Chuckling, her mother took Gwen by the hand and led her through the fence behind their house to a small pond. Mother and daughter knelt down beside the water's edge and waited.**_

"_**Now, Gwen. You have to be very patient...and very quiet." Her mother whispered.**_

_**Gwen just nodded obediently as the pair continued to wait. A few minutes passed, but to a three-year-old, it might as well have taken forever for something to happen. She wanted to let out a frustrated sigh, but she kept silent knowing any sound could prevent the ducks from coming to the pond. Another minute passed and just when Gwen thought she couldn't wait anymore, she heard the telltale quacking of a family of mallard ducks. The little girl tapped her mom on her knee and pointed to the five ducklings as they waddled and peeped cutely behind their parents.**_

"_**Now, watch." Her mother whispered gently.**_

_**Gwen obeyed and didn't take hey eyes off of the ducks for a moment. The father and mother duck stood at the edge of the pond before wading in. The pair swam out to the middle of the pond and quacked for their offspring to follow. The one in front, who looked to be the oldest, waddled in first and was soon followed by the other four. All seven ducks splashed through the water eating bugs and the duck siblings had fun playing chase with each other.**_

"_**They're so cute." Gwen whispered.**_

_**As the ducklings played, one looked in Gwen's direction, tilted its tiny head and locked eyes with the child. It was the smallest one of the bunch and the most curious one. As its parents and siblings kept swimming, the little duck waded out of the pond and waddled towards Gwen who kept completely silent. As the small duckling waddled closer, Gwen slowly placed her left hand on the ground, palm side up. The baby duck lightly pecked at her fingertips and it took Gwen everything she had to keep from giggling. Once it determined that she wouldn't do anything to hurt it, the small duckling looked up into Gwen's eyes and peeped cutely as if to say 'hi'.**_

"_**Hi, little duck." Gwen greeted softly.**_

_**The baby duck looked at Gwen's palm, walked onto it and settled itself into the dip in the middle. Gwen smiled as she slowly raised her hand and the duckling closer to her face.**_

"_**You're not scared of me, are you?" Gwen asked and the tiny duckling peeped as if to say 'nope'.**_

_**And what surprised Gwen most was that it wasn't afraid. The small duck wasn't shaking in fear at all; the only shaking it did was its downy tail. Gwen smiled as she slowly brought her right hand to pet the baby duckling. Using just her index finger, she gently stroked the fluffy down on its small head. The duckling closed its eyes and peeped cutely as Gwen stroked its back.**_

"_**You're really soft...and cute." She giggled.**_

_**What she didn't know was that the duckling's family was looking for their missing member and were now standing in front of the child. The parents looked on, not in worry, but in curiosity as Gwen carefully petted their youngest offspring. The babies were all hopping and flapping their stubby underdeveloped wings as they peeped loudly.**_

"_**What's wrong?" Gwen asked fearing they thought she was going to hurt their little brother or sister.**_

_**The oldest kept hopping until it landed on Gwen's arm and waddled to where its sibling sat. Gwen giggled as it tried to squeeze into the dip in her palm almost pushing the smaller duckling out.**_

"_**Oh, I get it. You want to be petted, too."**_

_**The larger duckling peeped in affirmation as the others wanted their turn.**_

"_**Okay. You'll all get your turn...but no pushing." She replied sternly to the eldest duckling and to her amazement, the eldest duckling obeyed and hopped down from her hand. Gwen's mother smiled at her child and the scene unfolding in front of as she pulled out a camera and snapped the photo.**_

"_I see big things for you, my little girl." **Gwen's mother thought as her child played with the duck family.**_

_**[End Flashback]**_

A lone tear streaked down Gwen's cheek as the memory ended. Wiping it away, she looked at Master Dile.

"It was my mom that taught me that if you don't raise your voice, animals will gravitate to you. I later figured out that the same held true for people so I kept quiet." Gwen began.

Master Dile smiled lightly and sighed. Gwen did have some good points but she was a bit misguided.

"Gwendolyn, I think it's time to change the way you perceive things...and yourself. For starters, we're going to focus on how you express yourself."

"I don't understand what you're driving at. What's wrong with how I express myself?" Gwen asked in confusion.

"You **don't**. That's the problem." Master Dile sighed. "You let people in but you don't let them know what you're really feeling. You may not know this, but you're harder to read than Master Swoop...and that's saying something."

Gwen just gave a wide-eyed look to Master Dile and shook her head. Now Master Swoop had a reputation for being the most 'even' of the Pai Zhuq masters. That and the fact that he basically wore the same expression on his face, minus the smirk he sported once in a blue moon.

"_Well, you can't really 'read' someone who always wears those cool shades. Blind or not."_ Gwen thought before replying. "I do, Master Dile. Or at least I think I do. Just exactly what do...**I can't believe I let everyone down! I'm so stupid!**" Gwen blurted out making Master Dile and the fox kits jump back. The panther gasped as she slammed her hands over he mouth quickly. Her eyes bugged out in shock at the sudden outburst as they seem to be coming much louder and much more frequent.

"I can't even control my own mouth. It's like I don't know when to be quiet anymore." She whispered sadly.

The fox kits yipped as they nuzzled Gwen's leg, letting her know they forgave her. Master Dile shot Gwen a comforting smile as the crocodile spirit holder placed her hand on the panther's quivering shoulder.

"Gwendolyn, it's alright. I know how you feel." Master Dile began soothingly. "I went through the same phase when I was younger."

"Really?" The young panther asked. "I find that hard to believe. You let everyone know what's on your mind...good or bad."

"But, I didn't always. When you're British, you're expected to maintain a certain degree of restraint and decorum. You're expected to be..."

"Stiff and boring?" Gwen interjected with a slight smirk. "Just kidding."

Master Dile shot Gwen a look that was a mix of 'what did you just say?' and 'watch it'. But it passed quickly as she let out a chuckle. In a way, it was her own fault. She did want Gwen to speak her mind more...and she got her wish.

"I was going to say 'dignified'." The crocodile master chuckled. "But, I learned that keeping your feelings inside is never good for you, physically or mentally. You have to let it out."

Gwen bit her lower lip in uncertainty.

"Um, with all due respect...I **have **been letting it out. And because of it, everyone thinks I'm either going psycho or I have Tourette's." Gwen retorted with a roll of her eyes. She didn't mean for it to sound rude; she was just frustrated with her situation and with herself. "I'm sorry, Master Dile. I didn't mean to go off like that."

"Well, if that was 'going off' as you call it, I'd hate to see you when you explode." The croc master replied with a playful smirk. "Gwendolyn, I've been watching you grow up at the academy and I've noticed that you pride yourself on always having things under control. And while that's an admirable trait to possess, there is such a thing as being **too** under control. Those outbursts are a prime example. It's your true, raw emotions trying to escape; they need to be expressed." The blonde master looked at Gwen like a mother teaching her daughter an important life lesson. "You need to learn how to just...let go."

"Master Dile, don't know if I can do that." Gwen protested as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I mean, I've always been 'the quiet mouse girl' when I stayed at the orphanage and the 'shy girl' at Pai Zhuq. The only time I ever really 'let go' was when I slammed my finger in my car door. I screamed so loud, I lost my voice for two days as a result."

"But didn't it feel good?" The croc spirit holder asked excitedly making Gwen shoot her a questioning glance.

"Um, slamming my thumb in my car door and having it swell to the size of a strawberry wasn't my idea of a good time if that's what you're asking." Gwen replied sarcastically with curled lips.

"Not that. The screaming." Master Dile clarified. "Tell me how you felt when that happened."

"Well...it actually felt...good." Gwen began. "You know, minus the cursing I was doing. Thank goodness there weren't any kids around. I did feel better after screaming my voice out." The panther rubbed her thumb which still had a slight scar before looking at Master Dile again. "But it wasn't like I was trying to scream that time...it just happened. When I actually try to put some effort into doing it on purpose, I sound dumb." Gwen finished with a frustrated sigh.

The crocodile spirit holder sympathized with her young charge. She may be a master now, herself, but the panther still had a lot to learn.

"Perhaps you need proper motivation." Master Dile prompted with a smirk. She knew what Gwen needed was a little incentive. "Maybe you'd have a better chance of letting it out if I gave you...this." Master Dile produced a weapon that made Gwen go speechless at the sight. "This is the Jungle Kwan Dao. And just like my spirit animal, it's deadly from both ends."

The fierce weapon was a long, hunter green and black polearm with a weighted, tri-sided spear head on one end and a wide, distal tapered blade on the other end that had the shape similar to a crescent moon. Master Dile swept the blade across the grass and the sharpness of it was like nothing Gwen had ever seen. The other end was crafter to resemble the crocodile's powerful tail.

"Oh, wow! That weapon's...wicked!" Gwen whispered as se reached out to touch it. But before she could, Master Dile pulled it just out of her reach.

"Not yet, Gwendolyn. Handling this weapon takes much more than just skill and physical prowess." Master Dile leans the Kwan Dao against a tree before speaking again. "You have to put everything you have into wielding it: mind, body and soul. To use this weapon, you have to learn to **let it out**!"

"But how?! Every time I try, I feel like I'm holding it in...like something's holding me back." Gwen sighed. "I don't know if I **can **let it out."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

End of Chapter 2

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This is bad. To earn the Kwan Dao, Gwen has to do the one thing she feels she can't do. And what's gonna happen to the gang when they meet Passerina again? I hope this chapter picks up some business. Seems my regular readers forgot about me. So read, REVIEW and pass it on! Ciao for now!


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the delay, guys. I've been going through some rough patches in my life...namely getting fired. But I'm still gonna keep writing. Hope you haven't forgotten me. :)

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own anything PR or Disney related...But who knows...anything's possible, right?

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"_Not yet, Gwendolyn. Handling this weapon takes much more than just skill and physical prowess." Master Dile leans the Kwan Dao against a tree before speaking again. "You have to put everything you have into wielding it: mind, body and soul. To use this weapon, you have to learn to __**let it out**__!"_

"_But how?! Every time I try, I feel like I'm holding it in...like something's holding me back." Gwen sighed. "I don't know if I __**can **__let it out."_

The panther master wrapped her arms around her torso like a makeshift cocoon while she bit her bottom lip and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. This maneuver was her defense mechanism for when she was at her most insecure. She had never felt so torn in her life and she hated it. She was basically being asked to change her entire personality, a personality that took years to create, in a matter of minutes. But nobody can flip from being meek and demure to boisterous and...well...wacko.

"Master Dile, I know what you're trying to do, but I don't know if this is gonna work. I mean, it's not like I'm Dr. Jekyll or anything..." The moment she made that reference, her face fell in despair. "**Oh...crud! I am!** This is terrible! One minute, I'm a mild-mannered veterinarian...the next minute...I'm **Psycho Doc!**" Gwen shouted in a visible panic.

The crocodile master watched as her charge was working herself into a lather and sympathized with Gwen. She, herself, went through a similar dilemma...not as extreme as Gwen's, but similar nonetheless. And from that, Master Dile gained some valuable wisdom and knew that this was the time to share it with her protégée. With a comforting smile, the blonde teacher put her hand on Gwen's shoulder to calm her down.

"Gwendolyn, you need to relax. Or as you young people say...'chill out'." The reptilian master added with a chuckle. Hearing Master Dile use such trendy slang made Gwen give her superior an incredulous look.

"Okay, as of this moment, that phrase is officially dead." Gwen joked with a raised eyebrow.

Master Dile shook her head in jest but continued to console the troubled panther.

"I'll let that one slide. But, nothing will get accomplished if you don't keep a level head. Your mouth can lose control all it wants, but if your head follows, you're in trouble." Master Dile replied seriously. She did have a point, though. Most warriors who went into battle without their heads on straight, more than likely left the battle without them attached to their bodies. Once Gwen nodded in agreement, Master Dile continued. "Now, in order for you to release your emotions, we need to tap into what makes you upset."

"How do I do that?" Gwen asked timidly.

"Look inside yourself. I can tell that you hold in a lot of things that frustrate you. Why don't you tell me about them?" Master Dile asked in a soothing voice. "What are some of the things that really tie your knickers in a twist?"

Now that was the "million dollar question". The way Gwen usually acted, you'd think that nothing bothered her, when in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Again, Gwen gave her mentor a confused look as she used her British slang.

"_Okay, never heard __**that**__ one before."_ She thought.

Once the panther dismissed Master Dile's colloquialism, she closed her eyes in search for an answer to the blonde master's query. As she did, a flurry of grievances and 'pet peeves' came to the forefront; some of which, she had been harboring for years. Gwen had become proficient in keeping her feelings tucked away; problem was, she hadn't yet mastered letting them out. One instance came to mind and it involved her younger brother.

"Well, there is one thing gets on my nerves." Gwen began. "I hate when Keenan keeps borrowing my iPod without asking. I mean, okay, I get that he likes music, but I don't get why he doesn't just buy his own. One time, he had it with him when we were called to the local petting zoo to examine the animals. I had no idea he even borrowed it at the time. While he was checking the heartbeat of a nanny goat, he set the iPod down so he could use his stethoscope. After finishing with the goat's checkup, he reached for the iPod and discovered that it was missing. So, naturally, he goes looking all over the zoo for it and when he didn't find it, he finally owned up to the fact that he borrowed it."

Master Dile paid close attention to Gwen's story and waited for the young panther to continue.

"A couple of hours after we left, one of the zoo keepers called us back and said that he thought he heard music coming from the goat pen. Well, that told me all I needed to know and when we got there to examine the goats a second time, my suspicions were confirmed." Gwen let out a heaving sigh as she looked at her mentor with the straightest face she could muster. "Master Dile...it turned out one of the goats **ate** my iPod! There it was; this little goat with a black shiner over his eye and his lips moving sideways in a chewing motion, almost taunting us. So, I took my stethoscope and placed it on its belly and, lo and behold, from inside his stomach I hear 'All eyes on me in the center of the ring, just like a circus!'" Gwen sang.

Standing there with folded arms, Gwen sucked her teeth in annoyance. When she heard the lyrics to the song Gwen was describing, Master Dile had a look of mirth in her eyes as she brought her hand to her lips in an attempt to keep from giggling.

"_Circus__. A more appropriate song was never written." _The reptilian mentor thought in jest before speaking. "Well, Gwendolyn, look on the bright side...at least he had good taste in music." And that minor pun set it off. Master Dile started laughing and in moments, Gwen joined in. No matter how mad she got at her brother for the boneheaded things he did...she couldn't **stay** mad at him. "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist."

"Bad pun. But I have to admit that was kinda...sorta funny." Gwen relented as her giggles died down. _"Would have been better if that goat didn't mistake my iPod for dessert."_ She thought.

"But this is good. That moment where you were sucking your teeth meant that you were on the verge of a breakthrough. Now, what else bugs you?" Master Dile asked as she was struck with an ingenious idea. Gwen was a model student, but she was no different from the others at Pai Zhuq in regards to one common aspect...that certain teacher that got on their nerves. Everyone had one and Master Dile was positive that Gwen was no exception.

"I'm sure you had someone at Pai Zhuq that...got under your skin, perhaps?" Master Dile prodded with a playful smirk. "A fellow classmate? Or...another master?" _"I know who it is; I just want to see if you actually admit it."_ The blonde master smirked in thought.

"Well...I wouldn't exactly call it 'getting under my skin...'" Gwen started hesitantly.

"Gwendolyn, you have nothing to fear here. You can say whatever's on your mind." Master Dile reassured with a warm smile.

When Gwen saw her mentor smile, she let out a relieved sigh and continued.

"Okay, but what I'm about to say **never** leaves here."

"You have my word." The crocodile master promised.

**[Flashback]**

_**Gwen, then 9 years old, had been acclimating herself to routines of Pai Zhuq quite nicely. During her first two years, she had figured out that each teacher was a master of a different animal spirit and that each master had quirks that made him unique. Master Finn, for example, kept going on and on about the sea and how he wished his son followed in his footsteps. This year, one of her teachers was the mysterious and cool-natured Master Swoop. Now, Gwen had heard lots of stories about this particular master and wondered just how many of them were true. She knew, from her father, that he was master of the Bat Spirit and that he was blind. Anything else about this elusive master would be hidden until she set foot into his teaching area.**_

"_**Um...hello?" Gwen called out to the seemingly empty room. "Is anyone here?"**_

_**Walking in slowly, Gwen surveyed the vast interior of the room until her eyes focused on a shadowy figure hanging from the rafters. Before she could say a word, the figure left its perch and flew past her until it levitated above her. In his hand was a beautiful hand-crafted fan with what appeared to be angels carved into it. Once the figure floated to the floor, Gwen managed to get a closer look at the one who basically buzzed her. He was tall...very tall and compared to your average nine-year-old's height, he was a walking skyscraper. Gwen nearly strained her neck trying to look up into his face which were adorned with pitch black shades.**_

"_**Greetings, young one. I am Master Swoop." He greeted in a cool, cordial voice.**_

_**Gwen just stood there with neck painfully craned upward and mouth agape. Never, in her life, had she met someone so lofty-in status or in stature. Before she could stop herself, Gwen uttered seven words that would make her newest teacher nearly laugh.**_

"_**You are a tall drink of water!"**_

_**Realizing that she said that, Gwen bit her lower lip nervously. Speaking out of turn was one thing, but calling a Pai Zhuq master a "tall drink of water"...she might have just ended her career at the academy before it really got off the ground. She expected the bat master to scowl, but instead, his lips curled in a mirthful smirk as he let out a soft chuckle.**_

"_**I've heard that phrase before, but you're the first to actually say that to me." Master Swoop informed gently.**_

"_**I'm sorry! I didn't mean...I mean...it just came out!" Gwen stammered. **__"I can't believe I just said that out loud!" __**She thought in embarrassment.**_

"_**It's alright, little one. Your father warned me ahead of time about your...observations." He chuckled before walking to his newest pupil. "Now, Gwen. While you are under my tutelage, you will learn my patented technique of fighting without eyesight...among other skills."**_

_**Gwen tilted her head at the bat master. She was about to open her mouth to ask him a question when the graying master interrupted her.**_

"_**And, no, you don't need your eyes to fight. Sight is a bonus, not a necessity." He began as Gwen was about to ask the sight-challenged master how he knew what she was going say next. "I've been a teacher here for years, young panther. I get asked that all the time."**_

"_**Okay. So, is that what you're going to teach me today?" Gwen asked curiously.**_

"_**No, today, I'll teach you how to levitate. And for that you need a focused mind." The calm master instructed as he handed her a training fan similar to his own. "And from what some of the masters have been saying, you seem to have what it takes." **__"She doesn't act like a typical child, but that remains to be seen." __**He thought.**_

"_Okay, do I even wanna __**know**__ what they say about me?"__** Gwen thought in amusement as she took the fan. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"**_

"_**Yes, we shall." Master Swoop replied. "Now, see if you can join me up here."**_

_**True to his spirit, Master Swoop gracefully floated into the air and waited for his student to join him. Fanning out her training weapon, Gwen proceeded to flap her wings like a bird, sweep the air in front of her blowing any stray debris out of her way, and swing her arms so frantically, she became dizzy. When that didn't work, she fanned herself like a Southern belle and then tried to launch herself with the fan attached to the back of her shirt like a cape and yelling "Let's Rocket!" Master Swoop, still hanging effortlessly in the air, witnesses her antics and holds in his laughter.**_

"_I did it again, didn't I?"__** She groaned in her head.**_

"_Okay, this is __**one**__ time I'm __**glad**__ I can't see this."__** He thought in jest. "That's a new technique." Master Swoop added with his trademark smirk.**_

_**He hadn't had many girls as students and couldn't resist teasing her a little. Hearing his smart remark, Gwen just scrunched up her nose at him, to which, Master Swoop would reply with a chuckle.**_

"_**I saw that."**_

_**-----**_

_**Months passed and soon Gwen was becoming quite skilled in the art of levitation and fighting blind. On one of their training sessions, Master Swoop and Gwen had just finished up a sparring session and were taking a lunch break under a willow tree.**_

"_**You're advancing well. To be honest, I didn't think you'd be able to pick this up so quickly." Master Swoop replied as he sipped his tea.**_

"_**Why? You said yourself that the other masters had good things to say about me." Gwen replied in defense.**_

"_**Yes, but none of them mentioned your affinity for vintage Ranger call commands...'Let's Rocket'?" He chuckled.**_

"_**Oh, shut up." Gwen shot back while playfully sticking out her tongue.**_

"_**I saw that." He smirked making Gwen shake her head in humorous defeat.**_

**[End Flashback]**

"To this day, he's never let me live that down." Gwen added with a heavy sigh. "And that smirk he gets on his face whenever he brings it up...it makes me sick! Okay, once in a while is fine. But, he does it every time he sees me."

He may have meant it in jest, but it still irked the panther master to the point where she balled up her fists every time she thought about it. Master Dile looked down at Gwen's hands and noticed the building tension in them and in her arms; she could tell that this was a memory that really bothered her.

"Well, Gwendolyn. If it makes you feel any better, you were the first girl he's ever taught. I'm sure he meant it as playful teasing." Master Dile assumed.

"Yeah, well, someone needs to tell him that after a while, teasing hurts." Gwen replied seriously.

"Perhaps, you can tell him one day after Dai Shi is defeated...or sooner."

"Maybe." Gwen replied tensely.

The crocodile master nodded as she felt her student was on the verge of a breakthrough. Just one more revelation could mean the difference between her achieving her goal or letting down her friends when they need her most.

"You're almost there. What else?" Master Dile prodded. "There must be one thing that irritates you to no end." _" And I have a feeling that 'one thing' will be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back...or panther's back in this case."_ She thought.

After her confession regarding Master Swoop, Gwen delved deeper into her mind and one thing did manage to stick out. She didn't know why she kept this buried for so long, but she figured that now was as good a time as any for it to come to light. With a slow exhale of breath, the panther began spilling her guts.

"What I hate the most...I mean what really gets on my last good nerve, is how everyone keeps saying how nice and quiet I am and how I never get mad over anything." Gwen began as her voice increased in volume with each sentence. As she went through her rant, she could feel her teeth grinding against each other and her blood pressure rise. "But that's not true! I get mad lots of times; I was just taught a long time ago that a lady never loses her cool! What really makes me wanna rip my hair out is how, just because I'm a girl, it's considered gauche for me to blow my top! Man, if one more person tells me how even-keeled I am because I never raise my voice...I'll-I'll...**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!**"

In what could be described as Krakatau on a bad day, Gwen finally snaps and lets out a roar that reverberates throughout the forest for miles. The shockwaves from her scream rivaled the aftershocks of most California earthquakes. After the ruckus died down, Gwen stared at Master Dile like a deer caught in the headlights and was surprised when she saw her smiling from ear to ear.

"You did it, Gwendolyn! You finally let go!" Master Dile exclaimed happily. "Tell me; how did that feel?"

Taking a few cleansing breaths, Gwen spoke finally.

"That...felt...**incredible!**" Gwen yelled at the top of her lungs. "Oh, wow! That was so intense!"

"Excellent! Now, that you know how to let it out, we can begin your training with the Kwan Dao." The reptilian master said with a grin as she grabbed her trademark weapon that was leaning against the tree. "Are you ready?"

Spying the weapon that would soon be hers, Gwen answered Master Dile with a smirk.

"Born ready!"

Back at JKP...

RJ and the other rangers were in the loft worrying about Gwen's outbursts and if Master Dile would be able to help her through it. While the rest of the crew waited anxiously for the panther to return, Casey decided to take up his concerns with the Pai Zhuq master.

"RJ? Do you think Gwen's gonna be okay? I mean, the way she was lashing out at everyone, it could be a disadvantage for us if Master Dile can't help her."

"I hope so. If Passerina's power is as bad as I think it is, we're gonna need her help...and soon." The pizza chef replied in a zen-like manner.

As the tiger and the master were engaged in their conversation, Theo wanted to know a little more about Gwen so he went to the one person who knew her better than anyone: Keenan.

"Hey, Keenan? You've known Gwen practically all your lives. Has she ever blown up like that, from what you've seen?"

Keenan had to take a moment to reflect on his time with his adoptive sister. Since meeting her at the orphanage and becoming fast friends, he's always known her the way everyone else did-as the soft-spoken girl who always remained calm. As a kid, Gwen was one kitten who never used her claws.

"Well, no, not really." Keenan replied as the memory of how he lost her iPod at the petting zoo crept into his mind. "I mean, I know she hasn't forgiven me for letting her iPod get eaten, but..."

At that point, the tiger, cheetah, jaguar and Pai Zhuq master whipped their heads around and all expressed the same sentiment.

"Huh!?"

"_Okay, should I ask or should I leave it alone?" _The fair haired cheetah asked herself in thought. _"Oh, why not? I'm curious."_ "You wanna elaborate, Keenan?" Lily asked giggling.

Keenan let out a heaving sigh before letting his friends know about how his little borrowing escapade went awry.

"Okay. Long story short, I borrowed Gwen's iPod without asking and during a call to a petting zoo...a goat ate it." The eagle cringed. "She didn't look like she got too mad about it, though. I guess she just held it in."

After he confessed, Casey, Lily, Theo and RJ all gave each other the strangest looks before laughter filled the loft. Keenan just sighed heavily and hung his head in embarrassment.

"You let...a goat...eat...Gwen's iPod!?" Casey asked in between gasps and giggles. "I'm surprised she didn't wring your neck."

"_Now that you mention it, so am I."_ The eagle thought in disbelief. "I didn't **let** it do anything! I just put it down so I could use my stethoscope and he just...ate it." Keenan shouted as he tried to defend his actions, silly as they were.

"I always thought that whole 'goats eat anything' story was just a myth...I guess it really is true." Theo laughed as he held his sides.

"I would have gotten away with it if Gwen hadn't heard her favorite Britney song coming from inside its stomach." The added confession by the eagle only made the laughter erupting from his friends even louder.

"You mean the thing was still functional after he ate it!? Shut up!" Lily debated in disbelief.

"I'm not kidding. Everyone could hear Circus playing from inside his belly.".

"_Okay, I know I'm not the only one who thinks that the fact that __Circus__ was the song playing in the goat's stomach was __**no **__coincidence."_ RJ thought as he wiped his eyes from the tears rolling down his cheeks from laughing so hard.

Once the laughter died down, the alarm on RJ's sets blared loudly and it turned the mood in the room from light to urgent in a nanosecond. He and the rangers ran to the viewing area and saw Passerina and Camille, and a few dozen rinshi, terrorizing everyone at the beach.

"Wonderful. As if the beach doesn't have enough trash on it." RJ quipped.

Casey watched the screen intently and was about to pounce into action...until he took note of his friends' slight apprehension. They wanted to rush in to save everyone from Camille and company, but without their full force, they were going to be vulnerable.

"I know what you're thinking, guys, but we can't wait for Gwen. We have to go now!"

"But, what about her training?" Lily asked with worry in her voice.

"We don't have a choice, Lily." Keenan answered as he put a hand on the cheetah's shoulder. "We're just gonna have to fight as hard as we can and buy Gwen some time."

"So, it's agreed?" Theo asked anxiously.

After Keenan and Lily nodded their heads in reluctant agreement, Casey took the reins.

"Then, let's go!" The red tiger ordered.

One by one, red, blue, yellow and silver swing out through the portal over RJ's chair and head for the battle on the cliffs overlooking the beach. At the top of the cliffs, Passerina and Camille were relishing in the fact that the lyre bird rinshi's music was wreaking unspeakable havoc on the helpless citizens. Men, women and children were jerking and twitching uncontrollably thanks to the hold Passerina's music had over them.

"Ah, it's so nice to see everyone cower in fear." Camille giggled sinisterly.

"And when they don't have control of their bodies, it's so much more entertaining!" Passerina cackled as she strummed her tail feathers making hip hop music waft through the sea air. "All we need is Don Cornelius and we could have our own Soul Train Line!"

"How about we pull the plug on this performance!?" Casey shouted as he and his teammates arrived on the scene unmorphed.

The shock of the rangers' appearance made the wicked lyre bird stop playing her mesmerizing tune long enough for the citizens to run as fast as they could away from Camille and her feathered partner in evil.

"Oh, please! Who let the cats out!?" Passerina asked sarcastically. "I think you kids are lost. The zoo's that way!" The lyre bird joked as she pointed behind her.

"And KFC's that way." Theo chimed in as he pointed in the opposite direction. "If you hurry, you can still make it into a bucket of Extra Crispy."

"Oh, the blue tabby gets in a good one." Camille clapped in a lackluster fashion. "How cute. Let's see how many you get in when you're fighting for your lives! Rinshi!"

With a snap of her fingers, the rinshi hop towards the unmorphed rangers; each one bent on taking out a helmeted hero. Casey and his friends charge the undead horde and engage in intense battle while a certain chameleon and lyre bird watched with sadistic glee. As the rangers stick to their game plan of buying Gwen time to train, the panther, under Master Dile's watchful eye, was progressing through her mastery of the Kwan Dao quickly.

"Focus your energy, Gwendolyn. Remember, the crocodile is a perfect blend of raw power, blinding speed and flexibility." Master Dile instructed as she observed Gwen's movements.

Gwen remembered how great it felt when she let go of her inhibitions and used that energy to perfect her routine.

"Letting it out is only half the battle. You must channel that energy." The crocodile master added . She could tell that Gwen was getting into her new free spirit but the panther still needed to incorporate it with the weapon. "Don't just use the weapon; move with it. Think of it as an extension of your body. The crocodile's entire body is a lethal weapon; to wield the Kwan Dao, yours must be as well."

Being a vet, Gwen observed and handled crocodiles and alligators in her line of work. She remembered how they moved their whole body to swim, how fast they sprang out of the water to catch their prey and how powerful their tails were; they could shatter bone with one swing. Using that knowledge, Gwen went through her training again and this time, her mastery of the heavy weapon was much more fluid, but the intensity of the moves never wavered.

"Yes! Excellent!" Master Dile praised.

With each swing of the Kwan Dao, Gwen could feel herself becoming freer as she refused to let anything hold her back anymore. Once she finished the routine flawlessly, the panther felt as if a massive weight was lifted from her shoulders.

"Very good, Gwendolyn. You've successfully harnessed the spirit of the crocodile." The reptile master replied with a satisfied nod. "Your father would be proud of you."

"I couldn't have mastered the Kwan Dao without your help." Gwen replied with the Pai Zhuq bow.

"Now, go help your friends. They need you." Master Dile ordered. "I'll be watching from the sidelines. I'm curious to see how you handle your new weapon." She smirked.

Returning the knowing smirk, Gwen grabs her new weapon and rushes to her friends' aid hoping that she'd be in time.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

I'm curious, too. But, thankfully, you won't have to wait to see what happens. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Guess what...you guys get TWO chapters! :) Aren't you lucky? And I'm still working on Love Across Time and the next installment of my JF series.

Disclaimer: Check the last chapter. ;) Now...the conclusion of...Worse Than He Bite! BUM BA BUM BUM BUM!!! :D

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Back on the beach, Casey and his team continue to fight the ever present army of rinshi while Camille and Passerina wait patiently for their chance to strike. Their plan was coming together-lure the rangers to the cliff and get them too exhausted to defend themselves against Passerina's hypnotic melody.

"Hmm. It's always a treat when you get to catch a live performance, isn't it?" Camille asked her avian cohort.

"True dat. Of course, once I get into the act, those performers aren't going to be 'live' for much longer." Passerina snickered back.

The red tiger and the other rangers would have laughed along with Passerina if they weren't fighting for their lives. As it was, the rinshi were proving to be more formidable than they had anticipated.

"I don't know how much longer we can hold them off!" Lily shouted as she was beginning to wear down. She grabbed one rinshi in a choke hold while kicking another one away from her. "We can't keep this up forever, guys!"

Keenan, who was a few yards away from the cheetah, was also struggling with Dai Shi's legion of darkness despite using all of his skills. And like the others, he was oblivious to the fact that they were being directed from the beach to the cliffs.

"We have to!" The silver eagle replied as he ducked a sneak attack. "Gwen still needs time to finish her training."

"I'm all for that, Keenan! But if we're gonna stall, can we at least morph?" The blue jaguar asked as he was being thrown into Casey. "Sorry, man."

"No problem. But, you do have a point." Casey replied as he straightened himself up after nearly being knocked down by Theo. "Let's ranger up!"

Nanoseconds before the heroic foursome could lay their hands on their morphers, Passerina leapt into the middle of the fray and commanded the rinshi to spread out.

"Time to hit pause on that track!" Passerina crowed menacingly as she fanned out her tail feathers and strummed her vicious plumage. The moment the notes drifted to the rangers' ears, their arms locked up and their bodies were frozen in place. "Since we're on a cliff, how about a slammin' rock tune?"

As promised, loud guitars and booming drums filled the air as the music took hold of the rangers' minds and motor skills. Casey and his team tried their hardest to fight the music, but, this time, the spell was much stronger than before. The wicked lyre bird cackled as she kept the rangers's hands from going anywhere near the pockets that held their salvation.

"Hope you like my little remix, rangers! I tweaked this spell so the more you try to resist, the stronger it takes hold." Passerina cackled as she watched the rangers twitch and jerk helplessly.

"So, go ahead and fight it; you're just gonna make the curtain drop on you that much faster!"

"Oh, great! Not this again!" Lily grunted as she struggled with her own body. "Okay, I never thought there'd be a time when I'd hate dancing."

"I can't move my arms!" Keenan groaned as he tried in vain to move them close enough to his pocket. "Can anyone else reach their morphers?"

"No, but I think we have a bigger problem! Look!" Theo shouted as he tried in vain to regain control of his limbs.

Keenan paid a little closer attention to their stilted movements and a look of horror crossed his face as he realized what was going on. Thanks to Passerina's hypnotic music, the rangers were slowly dancing towards the edge of the highest cliff on the beach.

"How'd we get up here!?" Keenan asked in shock.

"I don't know, but we have to do something! Try reaching your morphers again!" Casey ordered frantically. But the more they tried to get a hand on their pockets, the stronger the musical spell became...and the closer they helplessly danced to the edge of the cliff.

"I can't stop!" Lily screamed as she attempted to literally sit this dance out. She managed to sit on the ground, but her joy was short lived as the music commanded her to stand up and continue dancing until she fell over the side.

"Sorry, girlie. You're not sitting **this** song out!" Crowed a very confident Passerina as she continued to play her wicked song.

Back at the loft, RJ watched anxiously as his students and Keenan were steps away from tripping the light fantastic over the craggy edge. It was times like this when he wished he was a ranger. Then when his students were in danger, he could rush in to the rescue instead of sitting on the sidelines giving advice over a microphone. With a heavy sigh, he kept watching as the rangers two-stepped closer to a rocky demise.

"Gwen, wherever you are, please hurry." He prayed quietly. When he saw that Lily tried to launch a failed sit-in, he cringed. This was the toughest bind the rangers have been in to date. They may have been unable to reach their morphers, but that didn't stop the pizza mentor from speaking his words of encouragement. "Just hang on, guys. Help's on the way."

"Well, Camille. Just a few more steps and those bothersome rangers will drop off the charts faster than Taylor Hicks!" Passerina twittered evilly.

"That actually says a whole lot." The wily chameleon snickered.

As the diabolical twosome watched, the rangers' feet were so close to the edge of the cliff, tiny pebbles broke off and plummeted to the breaking shore below. If nothing was done soon, they

would be following those rolling stones.

"I still can't reach my morpher!" Theo shouted as he tried to keep from looking over the edge. Unfortunately for the azure feline, he failed and his brown eyes peered over to see the waves crash against the craggy shore. "Man, that's a long way down!"

"Notthe words I wanted to hear, Theo!" Keenan chewed out, momentarily oblivious to the fact that he was in the same boat with the others. Despite this, the silver eagle also made the mistake of looking down. _"Man, __**why**__ do I always look!? I could really use some wings right about now."_ He thought to himself.

"We can't give up!" Casey rallied bravely as he tried to keep his composure. But in his mind, he knew that things weren't looking good for him and the others.

"Casey, I'm gonna fall!" Lily screamed in horror as she leaned forward a bit more.

"Lily!" The red tiger shouted. But, thanks to Passerina's music, he couldn't reach out to pull her back, let alone reach for his morpher.

Casey and the other rangers grunted as they made one last ditch effort to back away from the cliff, but all it did was strengthen the spell even more. Now, they were literally toeing the line between life and death as they stood on their tiptoes. One note from the lyre bird's tail feathers and bodies of the rangers would litter the jagged rocks below. Their situation looked completely hopeless and Camille wasn't one to waste the opportunity to rub their noses in it.

"It's over, rangers! There's not a force on this planet that can save you now!" Camille shouted as Passerina prepared to play their final note.

Her fingers were poised and ready to pluck the feather that would spell the end for Casey and his friends when, as if on cue, a black streak came roaring in and landed powerful kicks knocking Passerina and Camille into some nearby boulders. The shock from being plowed into the rock wall effectively broke the lyre bird's spell over the rangers giving them back control of the bodies. The first chance they got, Casey and the others fell backwards and scrambled as far away from the cliff's edge as they could. Groaning from the pain and struggling to get up from the attack, Passerina shook the cobwebs from her head and waited for her vision to straighten out enough for her to see who cancelled her finale.

"Hey, I work solo! Who invited you, anyway?!" Passerina snarled as the figure refused to answer. "You better answer me when I'm talking! Who are you!?"

When the smoke cleared, a lone figure, clad in black jeans, stood tall and proud. The confident smirk on her face was enough to let anyone know that things were about to get interesting.

"You can call me the bonus track." Gwen replied smugly.

When Casey and the other rangers laid eyes on who saved them, they stood up and a wave of relief washed over the four of them.

"Gwen! You made it!" Keenan shouted in relief.

Camille's expression was one of disbelief and disdain as her most hated rival had returned not only in time to save her friends, but to most likely take her revenge out on her new feathered fiend.

"I-I thought Passerina took care of you last time!"

"Please! Better monsters than her have tried!" The panther retorted with arms folded before she ran to check on her friends. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah; you got here just in time." Theo sighed.

"We owe you one!" Lily and Casey replied in unison.

"No biggie." Gwen replied with a nod. "I'm really sorry about earlier, guys. I can guarantee it won't happen again."

"It's cool, sis." Keenan smiled as he gave his sister a forgiving hug. "But could you try not to cut it so close next time?" He joked.

Gwen just raised an eyebrow at her younger brother before chuckling and giving him a nod. Her attention then turned to a woozy Passerina and the panther was anxious to show off her new skills.

"So, what do you say we ranger up and pluck this chick bald!?" Gwen smirked sadistically as her friends all broke out their shades and put them on. With a twinkle in her brown eyes, Gwen followed suit by putting on her Solar Morpher and tapping the left side.

"Ready?" She asked with authority.

"Ready!" The other rangers answered heroically before going through the motions. **"Jungle Beast! Spirit Unleashed!"**

All five transform into their brightly colored uniforms and stood defiantly in front of Camille, Passerina and the rinshi.

"Hmmph! You really think you can stop me with those lame costumes?" Passerina scoffed.

"Costumes...maybe not." Gwen answered before stepping forward. "But, I have a feeling **this** could do the job."

Gwen closed her hands into fists and slammed them end to end and the impact created a green light that took shape. To everyone's amazement, the light had formed into the black panther's new weapon.

"**Jungle Kwan Dao!"** She shouted as she swung it expertly.

The appearance of this new addition to the panther's arsenal left the rangers awestruck as the sunlight reflected off of its gleaming, crescent blade.

"Whoa! Nice piece of hardware!" Casey complimented.

"Check that out!" Lily gasped in excitement.

After a couple more spins, Gwen pointed the bladed end of her weapon at Camille and Passerina in a challenging pose. With her new uninhibited attitude, she threw down the gauntlet.

"Okay, ladies...and I use that term **very **loosely. Who's first?" She asked as her eyes fell on the lizard in the tacky dress. "Camille, you want first crack at this?"

"Like I'd waste my time." The sly chameleon scoffed. "That's what I have rinshi for. **Attack!**"

On her command, all the rinshi that have been fighting Casey and the others started to converge on Gwen. The panther just tilted her head and feigned yawning in order to get under Camille's scaly skin.

"Honestly, Camille. You're starting to sound like a broken record." Gwen quipped as she gripped her Kwan Dao.

The rinshi, armed with spears of their own, bounded towards Gwen thinking she was going to be as easy to tangle with as the other four; but they were in for the shock of their lives. As the rinshi surround the waiting panther, Gwen opens her mouth and lets out a roar that made everyone there do a double take...including Master Dile who was watching everything from a few yards away. Gripping her Kwan Dao firmly in her hands, the black ranger charged in and launched a full body assault on any white-faced minion that tried to attack. Her full, unbridled passion could be felt behind every slash as she struck down rinshi after rinshi. Casey and the other rangers watched in awe; they had never seen Gwen fight with such emotion before.

"Yeah! Take it to 'em, sis!" Keenan cheered on.

Hearing her brother's cheering just fueled the fire within her even more as she stood her Kwan Dao on its spear tip and used it for balance as she delivered punishing kicks until the horde dwindled down to only a few.

"What are you waiting for!? Destroy her!" Camille shouted to her now splinter group of minions.

Obeying their reptilian commander, the last remaining rinshi advanced on Gwen who had one more trick up her sleeve.

"That's right, you Thriller rejects. Come to mama." Gwen whispered to herself.

Once they were in range, she took her Kwan Dao, and in a fluid motion, swung the weapon around her neck with both ends slashing the rinshi to ribbons as they got too close.

"Hands-free combat! Now, that's what I'm talkin' about!" The no-longer-silent panther shouted as she posed with her weapon in hand. After her short celebration, she turned to face Passerina who was fuming. "Aww, did I ruffle your feathers?"

"You lousy feline! Nobody crashes my concert and gets away with it!" The lyre bird seethed.

"Well, I'm right here, chickie! Quit throwing a tantrum and do something about it!" Gwen taunted with her arms stretched out.

Before anyone could follow the action, lyre bird and panther charged each other with a full head of steam but Gwen stopped just short of striking range and let Passerina come closer. The wicked songbird blindly went in for an attack only to have Gwen roll her Kwan Dao down the length of her body. The silver blade made sparks against the avian rinshi's body as it made contact. Once Passerina recovered, she tried to do a jumping attack, but the clever panther used her weapon to pole vault her into the air and counter with a flying kick of her own.

"Sweet!" Theo exclaimed.

Passerina, who was brought back down to Earth by Gwen's assault, shook her feathers in utter shock and prepared to unleash her musical counter attack.

"Time to put an end to this!" Shouted the lyre bird.

"I couldn't agree more!" Gwen challenged. "But before you do, I have to show you my little weapon's best trick!"

The crescent edge on Gwen's Kwan Dao began to glow and in an instant, instead of one deadly blade, there were two, and the pair of blades were positioned just like crocodile jaws. Before Passerina could pluck a single tail feather, the tandem blades snap shut around her midsection, pinning her arms to her body. As the trapped lyre bird's struggling proved to be futile, Gwen leaned forward to give Passerina a parting message:

"Time for your swan song!" She shouted.

Gripping her weapon tightly, a pumped up Gwen jumps into the air with Passerina still helpless within her blade's bite and goes into a horizontal spin so fast and violent, both fighters became mere blurs of color. Still in the killer corkscrew, the panther drills Passerina into the ground below, ending her existence with a loud explosion.

"**Death Roll, baby! What!?"** Gwen growled triumphantly as she let a little bit of the street in her come out and struck a pose with her Kwan Dao.

From the sidelines, Master Dile was brimming with pride having witnessed such a stellar battle. Thankful that they have their full range of motor skills, the other rangers rush to the black panther's side to offer their congratulations.

"That was awesome!" Lily praised. "Your Kwan Dao rocks!"

"You unleashed your spirit all over her..." Casey began, but he never got to finish his thoughts.

"Casey!" The other rangers scolded.

"Are you **trying** to ruin our reputation?" Gwen asked in shock.

"What!? I was gonna say 'tail feathers'. Honest." The red tiger chuckled. "Come on; you know I wasn't gonna go there."

"_Yeah, sure you weren't, tiger boy."_ Gwen thought as her eyes rolled under her helmet.

Theo shook his head in humor before turning his attention to the black ranger.

"I didn't know you had it in you!" The jaguar chimed in.

"That makes two of us. I'm really proud if you, sis." Keenan replied putting an arm around Gwen's shoulder.

"Thanks, bro. You have no idea how good that felt." Gwen replied finally. To her, the experience was absolutely euphoric.

As the rangers celebrated, Passerina, in all her battered and beaten glory, methodically crawled out of the crater Gwen created with her death roll attack. Her tail feathers were bent beyond recognition and her head plumage made bed head look like a perfectly coiffed hairstyle.

"I'm not finished yet, rangers!" She groaned weakly as she faced Gwen. "Gotta admit, black cat, you handle yourself pretty well. Question is, what can you possibly do for an encore!?"

At that moment, indigo lightning and purple flames surround Passerina's bruised body until she grew taller than the Ocean Bluff skyline. The rangers watched from below as Gwen placed a hand on her hip.

"Well, since she's bringing the music...let's dance." Gwen replied in a low tone.

"Now, your speaking our language!" Lily and Keenan shouted.

"Let's take it to her!" Casey shouted before all five leaped into the air.

"**Animal spirits, unite as one!"** All five zords combine into their most powerful configuration. **"Primal Fury Megazord!"**

"Wow! You're just in time folks because the rangers have come together for another epic fight! But in this match, just who will pay the piper?" Flit asked as he reprised his role as color commentator.

"If you don't shut your fly trap, Flit, you'll be the one paying!" Camille growled through clenched teeth.

"Okay, guys! All together!" Casey ordered as the Megazord launched a flurry of punches and kicks that were blocked by Passerina.

"Nice try! But I'm taking this battle!"

As the Megazord goes in for a punch, Passerina ducks and uses her beak to drill into the Megazord's chest plate...which in this case, belongs to Gwen's panther zord. The damage incurred by the ebony feline robot was, unfortunately, transferred to Gwen who felt every painful peck.

"Ow! If I wanted to get pricked **this** many times, I'd have gotten a tattoo!" Gwen complained painfully.

"Uh oh! I think the lyre bird's trying to poke a few holes in the rangers' game plan!" Flit quipped as he buzzed around Camille's head. "Looks like Passerina's rearranging the pecking order."

"And the panther's getting the brunt of it. Peck her eyes out!" Camille shouted to the feathered fighter.

"Aaah! I can't see!" Theo yelled as he and the others tried to shield their eyes.

Now, the old Gwen would have kept her mouth shut and endured the onslaught with quiet dignity...but this was the new-and-improved Gwen and the words "quiet" and "dignity" would soon be thrown out the window...along with a certain lyre bird.

"That's it! I've never been pecked by a bird and I'm not gonna start now! **Eat Eye Beams!**" Gwen shouted as yellow lasers shot out from the panther zord's eyes, pushing the feathered menace away from them.

"Yikes! That looked like it hurt!" The buzzing fly observed. "If Passerina's not careful, the only gold she's gonna get is a crispy golden brown."

"Man, I'd love for her to eat a little crow!" Lily grumbled as she and the others recovered from almost looking like Swiss cheese. It was during this moment that Gwen hears the voice of Master Dile.

"Gwendolyn, now's the best time to use the Crocodile Spirit!"

"Sounds like a plan, Master Dile." Gwen nodded in agreement. "Guys, let's call out the croc!"

"**Calling on the spirit of the crocodile! Combine!"** They all shouted heroically.

A dark, green aura emanated from the top of the Megazord and robotic crocodile slithered out with a splash. Its jaws filled with razor sharp teeth were snapping, ready to bite anything in its path. The panther zord disengaged from the rest of the Megazord so the crocodile could take its place. The front legs formed clawed gloves over the tiger's paws while the tail formed into a Kwan Dao and the jaws fit over the tiger's head like a hooded helmet.

"**Primal Fury Megazord with Crocodile Power!"**

"Casey, I hope you don't mind if I play lead singer on this one." Gwen asked the feline leader.

"Be my guest, Beyonce'." The red tiger chuckled as he stepped aside.

"_Look out, now. Someone in your group __**already**__ thinks I'm bootylicious."_ Gwen smirked in thought as she took center stage.

"Incredible! In a twist of fate, the rangers call on the deadly crocodile to mix things up!" Flit shouted in excitement.

"I'm not impressed." Passerina scoffed as she fanned out her tail plumage. "Crocs may not have ears, but they can still hear sound! So, listen up!" She shouted as she prepared to play another wicked tune. Her plan was to immobilize the Megazord so it couldn't launch a counter attack.

"Oh, my! She's planning on making the Megazord her dancing machine! If she gets this attack off, the rangers' gooses are cooked!" The fly announced worriedly.

"Yes! Just one note...and that panther woman will be out of my hair once and for all!" Camille sneered.

"We have to stop her! If she plucks any of her feathers, we're done!" Keenan shouted.

"Not if we can help it!" Gwen replied with growing confidence. She wasn't about to let herself and her friends be subjected to any more bad dancing. _"I know I'm a lousy dancer; I don't need any help from you!"_ She thought before shouting: **"Jungle Kwan Dao!"**

The tail of the giant Kwan Dao glowed menacingly before being swung by the Megazord. Passerina tried to block but the power exerted by the tail's whipping motion spun the lyre bird around until her back was facing them. With another swipe, the tail's jagged spine severed all the feathers from her body, rendering them useless.

"Oohh! Passerina loses her edge to the edge of the Kwan Dao!" Flit shouted as he dodged Camille's attempts to swat him. "She looks like she got into a fight with a weed whacker...and lost!"

"Nooooooooooo! Not my precious feathers! They were my meal ticket!" Passerina whined as she patted her now bald head and backside with her hands.

"Yeah, that reminds me. There are only three women in the world who can rock the 'hawk...Miss Patti Labelle, Pink and Storm." Gwen replied with attitude.

"Okay, no more Ms. Nice Bird! It's time I sink my teeth into this battle!"

With a head of steam...and not much else...the wicked lyre bird charges into battle one last time.

"Funny you should mention teeth." Gwen chuckled.

The rangers waited for the right moment to strike and once Passerina was in range, the Megazord leans over with its head down...and jaws open. When Passerina realized what was about to happen, it was too late. The crocodile's jaws slam shut around her body and the whole megazord jumps into the air making the color commentator fly go nuts.

"This is beyond anything I've ever seen before! These kids always have new tricks up their sleeves!"

"No!" Camille groaned.

"And...Passerina gets taken for a ride as the Megazord goes into spin cycle! Faster...faster...fas-ohhh, I'm getting dizzy again. But, don't worry. I'm staying on top of the play by play for the loyal fans!"

"What fans, Flit?! It's just us!" Camille grumbled.

Passerina was being taken for a dizzying ride much to the chagrin of Camille. And to rub salt in the chameleon's wounds, Gwen decided to impart a little wisdom of her own.

"Now to put Master Dile's most important lesson into action...**Let go!**"

The Megazord opened its lethal jaws and the force of the spin sent Passerina plummeting to the ground below at breakneck speed.

"**Noooooooooo!"**

Passerina lets out a final scream before her body explodes into a ball of flames.

"And the loathsome lyre bird is nothing more than a crispy memory! Colonel Sanders couldn't have done any better!" Flit quipped.

"**Death roll, baby!"** Gwen shouted.

"**What!?"** The others shouted in response as the Megazord struck a street pose and crossed its arms.

"**What a move! What a team!! What a **_**croc**_**!!!"** Flit buzzed excitedly.

"I'll agree with you on that last one!" Camille replied sarcastically before snatching Flit into her mouth and swallowing him. "One day, panther!" She cursed under her breath as she vanished into thin air.

Back at JKP...

Master Dile had returned to the loft and waited with RJ for the rangers to return.

"So, you get 1, 253 channels on your sets?" Master Dile asked as she examined his "state-of-the-art" surveillance system.

"Including local." RJ grinned proudly.

"What? No TiVo?" She smirked playfully.

"_TiVo! Why didn't __**I**__ think of that?"_ He thought before answering the crocodile. "I'm still working out all the kinks." The pizza chef confessed with a chuckle until it hit him that Master Dile was up on the latest technology. "Wait a minute. How do **you** know about TiVo?"

"Just because my spirit animal is a living fossil, doesn't mean that I spend my life living under a rock." Master Dile answered with a grin.

As the pair discussed possible DVD hookups, the rangers rush up the stairs filling the loft with chatter about their recent victory. When the wolf master saw Gwen enter the upper part of the loft, RJ ran up the stairs and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug as he swung her around in circles.

"Gwen, that was awesome!" He praised as they locked eyes. "You were a totally different cat out there!" Neither he nor Gwen wanted to release the hug anytime soon.

Master Dile watched the couple locked in a warm embrace and sighed happily to herself. She had trained both of them at one time when they were younger, but never did she imagine that they would end up together.

"_If someone had told me years ago that Master Finn's son and Master Mao's daughter would fall in love, I'd laugh in their faces. Especially considering how protective Master Mao was of his 'little lotus blossom'."_ She chuckled to herself. _"Poor girl; I truly believed she was going to end up in a convent."_

"Thanks, RJ. I think the real me finally came out." Gwen replied with a smile as she enjoyed the feeling Pai Zhuq master's arms around her slender waist. She noticed how RJ seemed to like the new uninhibited side of her and decided to play with him a bit. "So, now that you've seen me in that battle, are you telling me you like your women on the wild side?" She asked with a sly smirk and a slightly low tone to her voice. _"Because if you do, thanks to Master Dile's training, I can go there anytime you want." _She thought to herself.

Master Dile chuckled as the others waited for the pizza master to answer Gwen's obviously pointed question. RJ shifted uncomfortably when he heard her ask that...and the fact the other rangers were teasing him and that Gwen's voice now had a sultry tone to it didn't help matters any. Seeing how everyone was staring at him and waiting for his answer, RJ swallowed hard as his pulse raced and his breathing quickened slightly. He hadn't felt like this since the Hershey's kiss incident after they defeated Arachnikhan.

"_Is it getting hot in here? Gwen...what are you doing to me? Whatever it is, don't stop."_ He thought to himself before regaining his composure. "Let's just say...I love a challenge." He answered with a smirk of his own.

"Good answer." The panther purred as she made her way down to the lower level. Once she was there, she laid her Kwan Dao on the training mat.

After everyone had made their way to the lower level, Theo walked up to the mat and knelt down to take a closer look at Gwen's formidable new weapon.

"Man, this thing look so cool!" The jaguar replied as he reached out to pick it up.

"Be careful, Theo. It may not look it, but it's pretty heavy." Gwen warned.

The blue jaguar scanned the length of the hunter green weapon and thought back to how easily Gwen seemed to wield it in battle. And according to his logic and what the panther was telling him about its weight, nothing added up.

"_There's no way. She handled this thing like it was as light as a broomstick."_ He surmised to himself. "I think I can handle it." Theo retorted making Gwen throw her hands up in defeat.

"Okay. Don't say I didn't warn you." The panther master relented. _"This isn't gonna end well." _She thought.

Theo gave Gwen a smirk and goes for his first attempt. Grabbing the Kwan Dao with both hands, he tries to lift it like a barbell. His face contorted and turned a slight pink tinge as he strained with all his might, but despite that, he failed to make the heavy weapon budge a single inch. He then tried picking it up from the spear end with the same amount of success-none. RJ, Master Dile and the other rangers looked on in amusement.

"This is so much better than cable." Keenan giggled.

"I'm so glad you're getting a good chuckle out of my misery!" Theo groaned sarcastically as he tried straddling the weapon and picking it up that way.

"Is it really that heavy?" Lily asked.

"Yes!!" The jaguar collapsed next to the Kwan Dao, defeated and dejected. "Okay, either my arms just stretched or they got pulled out of their sockets." Theo groaned. Casey couldn't wait to call him on his shortcomings.

"I can see why you couldn't budge it. You're specialty is stealth." The red tiger explained with a puffed out chest. "Now strength, that's my department. I bet I can lift this."

"Are you sure you wanna do that, Case?" Gwen cautioned further. "Last thing we need is for you to throw your back out. And I'm not trained in chiropractic medicine."

"I'm sure. It doesn't look that heavy."

"Whatever floats your boat." Gwen conceded once again. _"Someone's gonna get hurt." _The panther thought grimly.

The tiger grinned and spat into his hands before reaching for the Kwan Dao. Just as he was about to touch it, Gwen launched a stern protest.

"You get any spit on my Kwan Dao and I'll bench press **you**."

"Yes, ma'am." Casey chuckled nervously as he quickly wiped his hands on his pants legs.

With clean hands, Casey grabs the weapon like a professional weightlifter and goes for the clean and jerk. He probably should have left it to the pros because once he pulled the weapon to his chest, the force knocked him on flat on his back. Now, the Kwan Dao was pressing down on his chest with him trying to kick himself free. With the air leaving his lungs, he did the only thing a person **could** do in his position:

"**Heeeeeeellllllllp!"** Casey screamed.

The cheetah hung her head in shame as Master Dile tried to keep from chuckling. Keenan, on the other hand, was laughing his head off as Theo and RJ tried to lift the heavy weapon off of the Jungle Fury leader.

"Man, how much does this thing weigh!?" Theo groaned in question.

"Too much!" Casey squeaked.

Gwen, who was watching this display of misplaced testosterone with shame in her eyes, heaved a sigh before walking to the red tiger who was looking more like a helpless turtle stuck on his back.

"_Men are just hard-headed...no matter what the species!"_ Gwen mused in shame.

Taking pity on Casey, she grabbed her Kwan Dao and easily lifted it from the tiger's chest before placing it on the rack.

"Okay...how did you do that!?" Theo asked in shock.

"When you've spent the better part of your life lifting heavy animals, you tend to build up wicked upper body strength." Gwen explained flexing a bicep playfully.

"Whoa! I guess we could use some more strength training." Lily wondered. "Maybe you could help us out?"

"I think I can arrange that." Gwen answered with a slight grin. "You guys can come to the animal hospital tomorrow morning and I can set up some baby elephant calves for you to lift."

Casey, Lily and Theo's jaws dropped when Gwen made that suggestion. The frightened expressions on their faces were enough to make the four masters laugh.

"_She's trying to kill us!"_ Casey thought in horror. "Um...uhhh...I think I'll pass." Casey replied first.

"Yeah, dancers can't afford to bulk up too much." Lily declined with a nervous giggle.

"I just don't wanna." Theo confessed shaking his head quickly.

"I was only kidding." Gwen laughed. "But back to the battle. That was too wicked! I honestly feel like a new woman."

"Gwen, I have to tell you. Be thankful you stopped the spin when you did because I was this close to blowing chunks in there." The jaguar admitted. "But other than that, the crocodile was awesome!"

"Yeah, and this was my favorite part: **'Death Roll, baby! What!?'**" Keenan added acting street. "I loved that!"

"As did I. Although, I never expected you to turn street on us." Master Dile smirked.

"Okay, that part just came out. But, now that I think about it, that was kinda fun to do." The panther giggled before bowing to Master Dile. "I have you to thank for teaching me that it's alright to let go."

"It was my pleasure, Gwendolyn." The blonde crocodile answered with a smile.

"Now, if you'll only tell me where you got that outfit. It's gorgeous."

Gwen's reference to Master Dile's excellent fashion sense reminded the young cheetah that she and the other rangers had a special surprise planned for the panther and eagle.

"Oh, that reminds me. Gwen, Keenan, we have something for the two of you. Wait right there." Lily began before running upstairs to search for something. As she tried to remember where she hid the gifts, Theo picked up where she left off.

"Since you're part of the team now, we thought you should dress like it."

At that moment, Lily returned with two flat boxes wrapped in white paper. The one that was tied with a shimmering silver ribbon was handed to Keenan while the other, secured with a black satin ribbon, was given to Gwen.

"Go on. Open it." The reptilian master urged with a smile.

As it turned out, Master Dile had a hand in picking out these gifts. Giving a confused, but interested look to his older sister, Keenan opened his box first with Gwen following suit. What they found inside made the sibling pair shout with joy.

"Oh, man! This is awesome!" The eagle shouted happily as he lifted the garment from its cardboard box and examined it from all angles.

"Can we try them on now?" Gwen asked as she held her outfit up.

"Of course. We want to see how they look on you." RJ insisted. _"Gwen's especially." _He thought to himself lustfully.

With smiles on their faces, Master Mao's children ran upstairs to change into their new training gear. After waiting for a good 5 minutes, Keenan called out to his friends.

"Okay. Tell me whatcha think."

Wanting to make this fashion show memorable, Lily ran to the juke box and turned on the song "I'm Too Sexy" for Keenan to strut to. With a chuckle, the bird of prey strolled down the steps wearing his gift. The pants were made just like Casey's and Theo's complete with a silver stripe running down the length of the leg and a pocket to hold his morpher. The silver jacket was made like a Chinese shirt with black piping marking the talon marks his uniform had the Pai Zhuq symbol sitting proudly on the left lapel.

"This really is cool! Thanks, guys!" Keenan replied as he hugged everyone. But the show wasn't over yet. There was still one ranger left to make her runway debut. Seeing that Gwen was taking her sweet time, her supportive brother decided to gently move things along...

"Will you hurry up, already!?" Keenan yelled. "Geez! How long does it take to put on clothes?!"

"Never rush beauty, little brother. You can't model clothes like this without getting the hair and makeup right." Gwen explained confidently. "With this outfit, I'm a hot fudge sundae. I'm just putting the whipped cream and cherry on top."

That statement garnered cheers from the group waiting downstairs. RJ, however was oddly silent...and with good reason. Hearing Gwen call herself a hot fudge sundae with whipped cream made RJ hungry...in every sense of the word. The pizza chef was two seconds away from rushing up the steps to the panther's dressing when her voice rang out.

"Lily, can you hit D5 for me?"

"You got it!" The blonde cheetah replied knowing which song she meant.

Hitting the button on the juke box, the theme from America's Next Top Model filled the room and that was the black ranger's cue to work the runway. The moment she stepped out, whistles and cheers nearly drowned out the music as she revealed her outfit. She had black leggings like Lily's and her skirt was made like a denim mini with slits in the sides. Instead of a jacket, she wore a black, long-sleeved shirt under form-fitting ebony vest lined with white piping to designate the claw marks on her uniform and a white Pai Zhuq insignia on the left lapel.

"I **so** own this catwalk." She giggled. "Pun intended."

"Nice legs." RJ blurted out before vainly trying to right himself. "I-I mean you look great!"

"_Smooth, RJ. Real smooth."_ Casey chuckled in thought. "But, you do look nice, Gwen."

"Thanks, Casey. I love it. Especially the skirt." And to prove her point, she did a couple of twirls.

"That skirt looks sick! I have to borrow it some time!" Lily asked eagerly.

Gwen could only smile at Lily's eagerness to borrow her clothes. She never had any sisters growing up and seeing the young cheetah act in this manner made her feel like she gained one.

"I'll think about it." The panther winked before turning to her friends. "We can't thank you guys enough. You guys didn't have to do this."

"But we do appreciate it." Keenan interjected with a silly grin.

"Oh, and Keenan, I wanna say that I forgive you for the whole iPod fiasco. Especially since I bought myself another one the other day. And that one is safe and sound in...my...desk?"

As she spoke, she noticed her brother's face contort in a guilty cringe that immediately told her that her brand new iPod was anywhere but safe and sound in her desk.

"_Oh, no he didn't!"_ She thought angrily. "Keenan, tell me you didn't do what I think you did." Gwen asked as calmly as she could.

The eagle was spitballing ideas to himself about telling his sister a little white lie about her precious electronic device, but he figured telling her that P. Diddy offered a million dollars for it wouldn't fly. So, with a hard gulp, he sucked up what little courage he had and told her the truth.

"Okay! I borrowed it again! I'm sorry! And I know what you're thinking. No, I didn't leave it lying around for a goat to eat...this time it was a camel." Keenan squeaked in fear. He was expecting his sister to blow her top, but, to his shock, she still remained calm.

"Relax, bro. I'm not gonna snap at you. Master Dile taught me that there are situations where shouting at the top of my lungs is inappropriate..." Gwen began as she kept her smile which was starting to creep the eagle out. "Which is why I'm letting my actions speak for me! Keenan!"

Before anyone could stop her, Gwen broke out in a sprint as she chased Keenan all over every square inch of the loft. That, and the combination of the silver ranger screaming like a banshee, made everyone laugh their fool heads off. All anyone could do was hope that Keenan would live long enough to replace his sister's MP3 player.

"_I wonder what song was playing inside the camel's stomach?"_ Master Dile thought to herself in humor.

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THE END

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And that's it for WORSE THAN HER BITE. As usual, read, review and pass it on! :) And stay tuned for the next installment-Power of the Bison!


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